


Two Stones and a Whole Lotta Birds

by Iamacarrot



Category: Rise of the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles (Cartoon 2018)
Genre: Brother Feels, Brotherhood, Brotherly Bonding, Brotherly Love, Family Feels, Fluff and Humor, Tooth-Rotting Fluff
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-11-05
Updated: 2020-06-07
Packaged: 2021-01-23 14:46:42
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 45
Words: 31,034
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/21321919
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Iamacarrot/pseuds/Iamacarrot
Summary: A few drabbles centered around everyone's favourite Disaster Twins.
Comments: 87
Kudos: 406





	1. A General Rule of Two's (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie and Leo enjoy some much needed "Annoy-Each-Other-Alone-Time"

"I hereby decree a declaration of declared secular movements!"

Donnie rolled his eyes, a hidden smirk on his face as he watched Leo march around the lair. Very seldom could Donnie find himself alone with his twin, and it was even rarer when he would find himself enjoying these moments. Such a moment was caused due to Mikey having snuck off to the fair, and Raph leaving in a frantic hurry to catch up.

"Do you even know what you just said?" Donnie asked, not surprised as he received a shameless "no" in response. "Would you _like_ to know?"

"No thank you. I just like saying big words to make myself feel smart." Leo chimed, leaping into a shadow and disappearing. This led Donnie's awareness level to go into high gear, and he stepped to the side as Leo attempted to sneak attack. "Foiled again..."

Donnie chuckled, sitting down and leaning forwards to look over Leo. "So, how's the weather down there?"

Leo growled playfully, lightly tapping Donnie's snout. The Softshell growled in return, slapping Leo's snout, and yelping as he was shoved to the floor. A wrestling match stemmed from the action, and the twins soon found themselves nipping each other occasionally as they lay on the floor.

"Get off me!" Donnie huffed.

"I don't think I will. You're comfy, and gravity is too strong." Leo replied.

"Ugh... you're such an annoying little brother." Donnie muttered, grunting as Leo shifted slightly.

"No I'm not! We're twins, genius!" Leo scoffed, plucking off a few loose scales from Donnie's cheek.

"Oh? Then I guess that makes you an annoying little twin." Donnie replied, smiling despite himself as Leo purred contentedly.

"That's better." Leo hummed.

"You like being my annoying little twin?"

"Mmhm."

"I'll keep that in mind."

"I'm taking a nap on you."

"I'll bite you if that happens."

"You won't."

"Bet."

"I do."

.

.

.

"OW! WHAT THE F-"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> These Two don't get nearly enough love as the twins they are.


	2. Taking a Sick Day (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo gets the flu.

"So, how are you feeling?"

Leo groaned, whining and curling his snout in pain as Donnie checked for any sort of open wounds. Of course, Leo had to blame himself for this, as he wouldn't be in this position if he had just _listened to his body_. Not even days ago had Leo taken notice of the harsh cough and nearly debilitating headache he'd had to endure, and he now regretted not going to his twin the moment his stomach started to cramp and churn.

Of course, the _real_ kicker to show off Leo's terrible choice, was the moment when Leo passed out during an intense game of Skateball. Worried screams erupted from the others, and they raced to Leo's side, all panicking as Leo lay unconscious on the floor. Thankfully, however, Leo woke up about an hour later to find himself resting on his bed, ice packs on his forehead to keep him from overheating.

"I feel like absolute **_shit_**." Leo replied sharply, moving to rub his head, and whining as his hand was pushed back. "Why are you even taking care of me? I'm not a baby."

"This coming from the one who got so sick to the point of passing out." Donnie scoffed. "Without telling me you were sick in the first place, anyway."

Oh yeah. How did Donnie even find out?

"You had a fever of 105° when I checked your vitals." Donnie explained. Leo tensed, suddenly realizing how terrible his idea to keep this a secret was. "You could have died, you stubborn little..."

A frown graced both of their faces, and they both sighed heavily. This wasn't something that Leo ever thought could or would happen.

"I can't lose you, Leo..." Donnie muttered. "I mean, sure, we argue _a lot,_ but... losing you would be like losing a part of myself. Losing _any of you_ would be too much."

"Hold on, is my twin saying what I think he's saying?" Leo asked, voice becoming hoarse.

"Yes. And if you tell anyone else, I'll deny it repeatedly." Donnie replied.

"Aww! I l... l..." Leo trailed off, body tensing before a loud sneeze led covered Donnie in disease ridden spit. "Oops."

"I TAKE IT ALL BACK! SUFFER, YOU _**WORM!**"_

Well, it was good while it lasted.


	3. Three Words (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, he just needs a bit of reassurance.

Thunder. That's what dramatically rolled in after Donnie stated those three awful words.

_I hate you.___

_ _Those were the words that led Leo to race out of the lair, holding back tears until he was caught in the Winter's rain. Those were the words that led Leo into the forest, trying to find shelter from the rain. Those were the words that led Leo to slip on a mud puddle._ _

_ _And those were the words that led Leo to fall down into a ditch, breaking his leg in a horrid manner._ _

_ _"HELP!" Leo pleaded, nursing his leg the best he could. "PLEASE! SOMEBODY!"_ _

_ _A low growl made Leo tense, and he was almost hesitant to look up. When he did, however, Leo wasn't at all shocked to see a large mountain lion towering over him. From the look in the creature's eyes, Leo could tell that it was hungry. Not only that, but he could tell that it was hungry for him._ _

_ _With one leap, the ferocious beast jumped down in front of Leo, slipping and growling as its legs got stuck in the mud. At first, Leo laughed triumphantly, pointing at the mountain lion tauntingly, despite the pain in his leg._ _

_ _A bad move on his part._ _

_ _In no time at all, the mountain lion freed itself, and moved towards Leo at an alarmingly fast pace. Screams of terror were drowned out by a crash of thunder, but the mountain lion's roar followed immediately after._ _

_ _This was the only thing that saved Leo from certain doom._ _

_ _Without any sort of warning, Leo watched the mountain lion get hit by a tranquilizer dart, falling down without a sound. Immediately after, Leo was lifted out of the ditch, and very nearly cried as he realized who had saved him._ _

_ _No words needed to be said as Leo was carried home, his leg being set and fixed with precision and care. Following this, Leo was placed on bedrest, but he cared not. The only thing Leo cared about in that moment, was his twin, who had purred to him throughout the entire procedure, comforting Leo in every way possible._ _

_ _An apology was given, and a look of pure guilt made its way onto Donnie's face. Leo smiled in return, accepting the apology._ _

_ _As well as the tender hug he received, and three words that made his day better than ever._ _

_ _ _I love you._____


	4. Puzzle (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A nice day deserves peace and quiet.
> 
> Bonding over a puzzle made that nice day even better.

"Corner piece, corner piece, top piece, left side piece, right side piece…"

A calm air was in the lair, being held by the less than active brothers, who had all resorted to doing their own things. A good way to relax after being stuck in the woods for an entire day. At the moment, Mikey was painting, Raph was playing with his plushies, Leo was working on a puzzle, and Donnie was watching Leo make said puzzle. Unbeknownst to the Slider, Donnie had been watching him for the past hour, and was surprised by how intensely focused Leo was.

"So, you're a sorter, hmm?"

Leo hissed in surprise, turning and sighing upon sight of his twin. A curt nod was given, and Leo returned right back to working on his puzzle. Without permission, Donnie walked into his old room, sitting down on Leo's bed, and watching his brother sort the puzzle pieces based upon their shape, obvious placement, and colors.

"What's the final result?" Donnie inquired, stopping himself from reaching out and placing a puzzle piece in its own snug little area.

"A family of ducks." Leo replied emotionlessly.

"I think you mean "a paddling of ducks," eh?" Donnie snickered, frowning at his twin's confused glance. "That's… it's what you call a group of swimming ducks."

"Oh." Leo hummed, looking at the puzzle once more. Not wanting to be rude, he added on to his word. "Learn something new every day, I guess."

"Yeah…" Donnie agreed, tilting his head at the sight of a line of scratches on Leo's arms. "Where did those come from?"

"I had a nightmare." Leo replied quietly. "I must've been tearing at my scales again."

Donnie cringed visibly, running a claw over the scratches. Deep, long, and barely healed. That's what they were. A sad sight, especially for Leo, the typically optimistic and uplifting one of the group.

"Wanna talk about it?" Donnie asked. Leo snorted. "I'll take that as a no… can I watch you finish the puzzle?"

A contented trill.

"I'll take that as a yes." Donnie chimed, doing just as he'd promised. Not too far into the puzzle, both brothers became drowsy, and they ended up leaning against each other as they slept.

It didn't take too long for Raph and Mikey to find the two, and they both smiled widely. Soft whispers were shared between the oldest and the youngest, and Raph took a picture of the twins before leading Mikey away. The rest of the night was soothing and peaceful.

And the puzzle never did get finished.


	5. Team Building (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie and Leo bond over a near death situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Heh. Y'all know this won't be angsty.

"Leon, I hope you realize that I'm not going to save you if you fall!"

"Oh calm down you worrywart! I'll be just fine!"

Donnie growled under his breath, watching with- slight -worry as Leo walked along the beam of an unfinished and abandoned building. The two had been sent on a mission together as a team building exercise, and hadn't seemed to get through with it yet. Every minute had Leo been playing around, knowing very well what to do to annoy his older twin brother.

"You act like you think I'm gonna- SHIT!" Leo yelped, grabbing hold of a nearby bar to keep himself from falling onto another jagged beam. Both twins then took a deep, relieved sigh, and Donnie used his battle shell to hover up towards Leo, grabbing hold of the Slider and safely gliding down to the ground.

"And you wonder why I was so anxious." Donnie scoffed.

"I could have held myself up." Leo muttered.

"I could have let you die." Donnie hissed. Leo frowned, kicking a nearby rock and groaning. "Hey, stop looking so sad."

"I'm not sad." Leo fibbed, his lowered head stating otherwise. "I just don't feel like smiling."

"Since when does my twin not feel like smiling?" Donnie asked, flicking Leo's snout playfully.

"Since my twin made me feel bad." Leo replied. Donnie trilled, patting Leo's head, and snickering as Leo backed away. "No playing! You're too mean!"

"Okay! Alright! Fine." Donnie chimed, placing his hands up in surrender.

Before pouncing and knocking Leo to the ground. From there, the twins wrestled and laughed, ending up flat on the sidewalk after a good two minutes.

"Am I still mean?"

"Yes."

"Aww, poor Elegans." Donnie chuckled, sitting up and allowing his twin to do the same.

"So does this mean we completed the exercise?" Leo asked, throwing an arm over Donnie's shoulder.

"Oh, of course not! We're always going to fight!" Donnie snickered, pressing Leo's beak slightly.

"But we still love each other?" Leo asked, glancing up at his twin.

"Like best friends." Donnie confirmed. "Incredibly hopeless best friends."


	6. Noncompliance (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo most obviously hates getting his yearly flu treatment.

"LEO! Sit still! Stop squirming!"

"NO! I won't! This hurts!"

"I don't care! This. Will. Help. You. Heal!"

A loud whine, followed by a threatening hiss led Donnie to groan, letting his twin go, and watching the Slider crawl under a shelf. An unimpressed glare was sent towards Leo, and he bared his teeth, hissing lowly before turning his shell to Donnie.

"Dude, get out here!" Donnie shouted, crossing his arms, being mindful of the large needle in his hand. "The more you comply, the faster this will go!"

"No! I'm living under here now!" Leo barked, squeezing into a tight corner as much as possible. Donnie rolled his eyes, walking up to Leo, crouching down, wrapping his arms around Leo's body, and hissing at his brother with more aggression than either twin had ever heard.

"Get. Out. Here." Donnie ordered, moving back to give Leo space. When in full view, Leo's distress and anxiety was clear, and it was then when Donnie noticed that Leo had been shaking the entire time. "Leo, calm down. I get that this hurts, but it's the only way we can get rid of this flu strain."

"But why does it have to be a shot?!" Leo whined, sneering at the needle in Donnie's hand. "Why can't it be yogurt or something?"

"Would you honestly sit still and listen to my science jargon?" Donnie asked, chuckling at the confused look he earned. "I thought not. Now sit still. I have to find the previous injection area."

"Meh-meh meh-meh meh-meh." Leo scoffed, squeaking at the feeling of a needle being lodged into his left arm. "Don't need to draw blood. Don't need to draw blood. Please don't need to draw blood…"

"Hmm, your body seems to be rejecting the treatment." Donnie mused. "I'm going to need to draw blood."

"KISS MY TAIL!" Leo screamed, tearing away from Donnie and scrambling away. Donnie's face went blank, and he fought back a snicker as Leo was carried back into the lab by Raph.

"Just do what he asks." Raph instructed, turning and leaving.

"Well, you heard what he said." Donnie hummed.

"Go screw yourself." Leo muttered.

"I will not, because I'm not as lonely as you."

_"JUST TAKE MY BLOOD!"___


	7. A Sense of Insecurity (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie doesn't like seeing his twin brother trusting a random stranger so easily.
> 
> ESPECIALLY when Leo claimed to love said stranger very much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm not a huge Usagi/Leo shipper, as I never did explore the ship. That being said, I made this chapter based upon a Tumblr post I saw.
> 
> So... enjoy. :)

This wasn't right.

Not in any way, shape, or form.

This Usagi character was too out of place in the lives of the Hamato family, and Donatello would be damned if he allowed his younger twin brother to fall for the rabbit. This fact was made clear the moment Donnie attempted to attack Usagi after Leo started swooning at first sight. Unsurprisingly, Leo fought back, and Donnie was slapped back, ending up with a large scar on his left cheek.

"I'm sorry." Leo apologized feebly, refusing to make eye contact with his twin. "I just didn't want you to hurt him…"

"Leon, we just met the guy! How do we know if we can trust him?" Donnie asked, crossing his arms.

"Don, he helped us fight off Repo that one time!" Leo defended, cautiously walking forward. "He can be trusted!"

"Leo-"

"Please let me have this Donnie! He's so charming and handsome, and he-"

"He has no place in our circle of trust." Donnie interrupted. "My answer remains a stern no."

Leo frowned, rubbing his arm and sniffling. Donnie groaned in response, dragging Leo into a hug and huffing. Upset trills were followed by a pleading look, and Donnie- beyond his correct judgment -nudged his snout against Leo's in reluctant approval. The Slider cheered loudly, hugging Donnie closer before racing off, gasping as Usagi just so happened to walk into the scene. Without skipping a beat, Leo jumped into Usagi's arms, and sighed happily.

Donnie hissed under his breath, but didn't say anything. His twin was happy, truthfully so, and Donnie would feel genuine guilt if he robbed Leo of said happiness. So, for the moment, Donnie was forced to watch his brother giddily hug and nuzzle a strange rabbit Yokai they'd just met.

It was difficult to watch, but Donnie did so. For the moment, he knew he would just have to deal with it.

Until Usagi broke Leo's heart.

Which is when Donatello would gladly be ready to tear the rabbit apart.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Rawr.


	8. Does Too (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It seems like it'll take a bit more than a scolding to keep Leo from being in the Christmas spirit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's almost Christmas! Yeah!

"Dear Santa, for Christmas this year, I would like a skateboard, and pizza, and some cool gloves, and a new bandana, and a new Jupiter Jim movie, and-"

"How can you seriously believe in such an obvious lie?"

Leo huffed, glaring at his twin angrily. For years had Donnie been trying to lie about Santa, about how he wasn't real, about how it was impossible for reindeer to carry such a large sleigh and blah-blah-blah. Now the twins were 14, and Donnie was completely abhorred about the knowledge that Leo still believed in Santa.

"Santa is not a lie!" Leo scoffed. "He's real! You're just a big ol' humbug!"

"Listen to you! You're talking like a seven year old!" Donnie shouted, snatching Leo's paper up, and ripping it into tiny pieces. "You need to grow up, Leo. There is no such thing as Santa! The guy was only made up as a stupid story so that dumb kids would fall in line!"

Leo said nothing, looking to the floor in embarrassment before standing from his place on the floor. A blush was on Leo's face, and a tiny flash of sadness appeared in his eyes as he trudged out of the living room, escaping the sanctuary of the lair, and traveling to April's apartment. Without a shred of guilt, Donnie retrieved a broom, sweeping up the paper remains, and throwing them in the trash.

Later that day, the family had gathered into the living room, a Christmas movie playing to express the usual cheer of the holiday. Happy chattering nearly overpowered the sound of the movie, yet there seemed to be a bit of tension that no one wanted to address. To the farthest right, Leo had curled in on himself, snout curled into a sneer, posture tense, and tail tucked. It was obvious that the Slider needed to talk, but no one seemed brave enough to mention it.

That is, until Mikey decided to try and cheer his immediate older brother up.

"Why are you so sad?" Mikey asked, leaning against Leo in interest. A heavy sigh was earned, and Mikey chirped. A chirp was returned, and Mikey continued. "It's almost Christmas! The day when Santa comes and gives us gifts!"

"Yeah!" Raph agreed. "And I've asked him for tons of stuff! Some new weights, a new Teddy Bear Town coupon, a new teddy bear-"

"Don't forget that we also get to make cookies for him!" April chimed.

"Yes, may the old man enjoy Michelangelo's cooking." Splinter chuckled, stroking his beard mischievously.

"Dad! No eating the cookies this year! They're for Santa, and Santa only!" Mikey scolded.

"Maybe you guys should leave the cookies at my house this year." April snickered. Laughs from Raph and Mikey, as well as a grumble from Splinter, were given, yet Leo still looked upset.

If not more upset than before.

"Come on Leo! Show some holiday cheer!" Mikey encouraged.

"Hmm, I think I know what he is upset about." Splinter mused, grabbing everyone's attention. "Blue is upset that Santa may put him on the Naughty List."

"How would that be fair?!" Mikey asked. "Leo's been as good as a Leo could be this year!"

"I think he's just convinced that he won't get as many presents as us this year." April hypothesized.

"Or maybe he thinks he won't be able to lick the batter off the mixer this year." Raph suggested.

"Wouldn't be a surprise, considering how you always snatch it from everyone every year." Mikey stated sassily. Raph blew a raspberry, chuckling at the collective laugh he received.

"What about you Don? What do you think Leo's upset about?" April asked. All attention was then placed upon the Softshell, and he inwardly cringed, looking to the ground in rare shame.

"Well… I think, uhm…" Donnie muttered. "I uh… actually… you know what? I'm getting a little tired, and it's getting late. We should probably turn in for the night."

Something that wasn't necessarily a total lie.

"Yeah, I guess. I have school in the morning, and mom will have a fit if I don't get home soon." April hummed. "Goodnight guys! See you tomorrow!"

"Goodnight April!" the brothers replied, some less enthusiastically than others.

"Alright, I'm going to bed. 'night guys." Raph announced. Mikey followed suit, and Splinter hopped onto the floor, walking into his room.

Leaving the twins alone in silent tension.

"Leo-"

"I don't want to hear it." Leo interrupted gruffly, moving to stand as well. A tight grip on his arm was what kept him from succeeding.

"Look, I get it. What I said earlier wasn't necessarily the nicest." Donnie started, flinching at the unimpressed growl he received. "Right… it was a huge dick move."

"Not even close." Leo scoffed, pulling his arm away.

"Okay, fine. I was an asshole. A dickwad. A dumbass. Need I go on?" Donnie corrected, heartbeat slowing slightly as he earned a barely audible chuckle. "So… now that we've established how terrible I am in terms of Christmas… I think now's the part where I… apologize, or something?"

Leo giggled, finally deciding to look Donnie in the eye.

"Okay, uh… how does this work? Is there some sort of… contract or something?" Donnie asked, raising a brow at the genuine second giggle he was given. "I'm… being serious."

"I know!" Leo stated. "Which is why I'm laughing!"

"Technically, they're more like restrained giggles." Donnie corrected, confusion flooding his brain once Leo laughed. "What's so funny?!"

"It's no wonder why you hate Santa so much!" Leo snickered, pushing Donnie back lightly. "I wouldn't want to try and make nerd toys either!"

"Hey! I never asked for-"

"Dude, yes you did!" Leo interrupted. "I mean, who the hell asks for an "Artificial Intelligence for Kids" kit?"

"You and I know very well that Santa could have made that kit! He was just too lazy to do it!" Donnie shouted, huffing upon being hugged.

"The elves make the toys, doofus." Leo snickered. "Santa just delivers. Kinda like a magical mailman."

"More like a stalker mailman." Donnie muttered. "The guy supposedly watches your every action up until Christmas. Something a bit unsettling to me."

"Are you saying you're scared of Santa?" Leo asked mischievously.

"Oh, quite the contrary." Donnie replied matter-of-factly. "I cannot fear what does not exist."

"He does too." Leo stated, a childish smile on his face.

"Does not." Donnie rebuffed playfully.

"Does too."

"Does not!"

"Does too!"

"BOYS!" Splinter yelled, shutting the twins up then and there. A moment or two of sitting still was interrupted by Leo's yawning, and the duo stood, retreating to their rooms.

The next morning, Leo awoke to see a paper hanging on his wall, and he rubbed his eyes, smirking as he read what it said.

Does not.

Leo responded by placing a Santa hat on Donnie's head later that evening.

"Does too." Leo whispered happily.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> C H R I M A H!!!


	9. Turtle Stacking (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's not a calm day until Leo and Donnie are doing _something_ to annoy one another.__

"And I'll just place this here. And this here. Don't mind me, just placing this here…"

Splinter watched in dazed confusion as Leo casually stacked random objects on Donnie's natural shell. At the moment, the normally cynical turtle was making no negative movements, as he merely decided to lie on his stomach in the main atrium. The only sound was made by Leo, who would constantly state when he was placing items on Donnie's shell.

"And a roll of toilet paper here… a toothbrush holder there… some dental floss… a flip-flop… some bread… a pack of noodles…" Leo muttered, placing his most recent item before laying down and smiling at his twin. Donnie huffed nonchalantly in response, watching Leo jump up with an interested expression.

"What now? The Arts and Crafts supplies?" Donnie asked jokingly.

"No, silly! Those are too sharp!" Leo replied. "And I'm being 100% serious. It's like Mikey has an entire army base of weapons in his crafts bin."

Donnie hummed, wiggling his snout in reciprocation of Leo's action. By this point, Leo had stacked his own height's worth of items on Donnie's shell, and he looked at the "masterpiece" happily.

"I… am an artist now." Leo chimed, stepping back to get a better view. Donnie rolled his eyes, stretching before moving to stand, knocking over every item that had been stacked. "NO! My artistry!"

"Aw, don't whine. You can stack some other time." Donnie assured, patting Leo's head.

"Shikashi, shashin wa toremasendeshita!" Leo whimpered, frowning as a toilet paper roll casually made its way down a slope.

"Kyōdai yo, anata wa shinanaideshou." Donnie snickered, pressing his forehead against Leo's lightly. The Slider huffed, but his posture relaxed, and he trilled, staying still for a moment before shoving Donnie back.

"Go to Hell." Leo huffed, standing and storming away. Donnie chuckled, shaking his head fondly.

"I love you too, little twin."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Shikashi, shashin wa toremasendeshita - But I couldn't take a picture!
> 
> Kyōdai yo, anata wa shinanaideshou. - Brother, you will not die.


	10. Tolerable (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Despite what it may seem like, Donnie _does_ have moments when he can tolerate his twin's idiocy.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I amaze myself by how much emotion can be conveyed in such short chapters.

"Donnie."

"No."

"Donnie?"

"No."

"Donnie!"

"No!"

"DON!"

"NO!"

Raph snickered, watching with great amusement as Leo followed Donnie around. Happy chirps and trills mixed with annoyed growls, yet no moves were made to stop Leo from latching onto Donnie's neck. From there, the Slider was dragged along the floor, continuing to pester his twin despite it.

"Donnie?"

"What?"

"Hi."

"Stop."

A giggle was followed by Leo making annoying noises, and Donnie groaned. Though, for whatever reason, he refused to stop Leo from doing so.

"Don?"

"What?"

"Watermelon."

"No."

More frustrating noises were made, yet Donnie continued to tolerate them, the only negative thing being done was him shoving Leo away to sit down. Of course, Leo latched back onto Donnie immediately after.

"God, you're like a leech." Donnie scoffed, glaring at Leo after saying so. "If you bite me…"

"Okay, fine." Leo replied, pretend punching Donnie's face. "I'm a villain now."

"Yes! Another reason to kill you!" Donnie shouted, finally deciding to get his revenge. Loud pleas for forgiveness resonated throughout the lair, and Leo yelped as he was slapped a bit too hard for either of the twins' liking. "Ohmigosh! I'm so-"

"It's fine, bro." Leo hummed, rubbing his cheek. "It's just a bruise."

"You sure?" Donnie asked worriedly. Leo nodded, wincing as his injury was lightly touched. "You liar."

"Don, I'm fine." Leo muttered, frowning as an ice pack was placed against his cheek. "I can hold it."

"Next time, don't lie to me." Donnie huffed. "Alright?"

"Alright." Leo replied, smiling at the rewarding head pat he earned.

"Now go get some sleep." Donnie ordered, sending Leo off to bed.

"Fine, mom." Leo joked.

"Leonardo-"

"I'm going!

Donnie sighed shaking his head like an exasperated mother. After doing so, Donnie took note of the fond squeak from his older brother.

"Fuck you." Donnie muttered.


	11. Rebound (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The twins are able to work together fairly well in certain situations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set during a theoretical "Draxum Redemption" Arc, and contains _multiple_ "Charlie the Unicorn" references.__

"Draxum! Draxum! You have to come with us! There's an infestation of Gloob-Glabs everywhere! They're going to eat you piece by piece!"

"Yeah Draxum! Piece by piece!"

A loud, pissed off groan was what the twins were rewarded with, and they screamed dramatically. The sound then drove Draxum to give a war cry, turning and facing the twins. As normal, he was met with terrifyingly calm smiles.

"What are you idiots talking about?" Draxum asked lowly.

"The Gloob-Glabs! They're going to tear you apart!" Leo shouted.

"Piece by piece!" Donnie added, leaning against Leo and smiling in a threatening manner.

"We have to travel to the kingdom of the Noodle Queen! She'll know what to do!" Leo announced. "You have to come with us! You're an important part of the puzzle!"

"PIANO SOLO! Da-doo-doo-doo!" Donnie shouted, flying around the area.

"Ugh… fine." Draxum huffed. "By this point, it's become obvious that I have little to no choice but to do as you say. So why don't we just go ahead and go?"

"That's the best idea you've ever had!" Donnie gasped, allowing Leo to create a portal before shoving Draxum through. The twins followed shortly after, and gave nonchalant hums as they were met with the sight of a giant, six headed cat.

"It's Surrea! The Oompa-Loom! Draxum! You have to use the magic flute to put her to sleep!" Leo shouted. "Use the flute! USE IT!"

"What the hell are you talking about?! I don't even have a- WHERE DID THIS COME FROM?!" Draxum screamed, nearly dropping the wriggling 'flute' in his hands.

"Play the flute, Draxum!" Leo instructed.

"Yeah! Play it, Draxum! Save yourself!" Donnie shouted, using his battle shell to carry himself and Leo into the air, easily gliding past the giant cat.

Draxum gulped, smiling nervously as each of the cat's heads focused on him. A terrified glance was sent to the creature before Draxum attempted to play the "flute," not at all surprised as the creature started to sing. The song was nothing spectacular, more or less the creature just announcing how great she and her heads were, before imploding.

"You did it Draxum!" Donnie yelled, grunting as he and Leo landed harshly. "You defeated the Oompa-Loom!"

"I'm pretty sure that was just a normal Yokai, but she imploded just like every other goddamn Yokai does when I'm with you two. Not to mention the fact that they all sing before doing so." Draxum sighed.

"I'm sure it's all coincidental." Leo hummed, sitting up and knocking Donnie over.

"Completely." Donnie affirmed.

"So, what now?" Draxum asked, jumping slightly as a loud rumble resonated through the area. Seconds passed before walls started to rise, and a large Uranium powered explosive rose from the ground. "Let me guess-"

"We got a little bored." Leo admitted.

"Yeah, and bored of the gossip about this Yokai's den, so… we're gonna blow it up now." Donnie explained. "You were just an added bonus."

The twins then laughed mischievously as Donnie carried them away.

"Bye Draxum!" Leo cackled.

"You always kinda smelled like a foot! Just thought you'd wanna know!" Donnie shouted, voice trailing off as the two got farther.

"And… of course they're trying to kill me." Draxum muttered. A few glances around the lair led Draxum to stumble upon a lever, and he pulled it, revealing a hidden staircase. Draxum traveled down, sighing in relief as his luck granted him mercy.

At the bottom of the staircase was a lower portion of the Hidden City, and the passageway closed, just barely shielding Draxum from a blast that would have killed him a millisecond after going off. Meanwhile, the twins watched from a safe distance as the lair exploded, laughing in triumph.

"Bye asshole!" Leo screamed.

"It was awful knowing you!" Donnie added. "So, who's next?"

"We could always go for Hypno." Leo suggested.

"Alright, but if you make me say anymore stupid shit, I'm going to-"

"I'M GOING TO TEAR YOUR HEADS OFF!" Draxum roared furiously, loud enough to be heard by the twins despite their dramatic distance from each other.

"Oh… boy…" Leo muttered.

"Well… we're screwed." Donnie sighed.


	12. If (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An unexpected question leads to reassurance from an unusual source.

"Hey, Don? If I was turned back into a hatchling, would you… would you abandon me?"

A look of shock was sent to Leo, conveying that Donatello was clearly unprepared for such a question. It was 4:00 in the afternoon, and the twins were atop a skate ramp, a strange instance to be asking such a thing.

"Why are you asking such a question?" Donnie asked, heart dropping at the sight of Leo's tear stained mask.

"I dunno, I just… I didn't know if…" Leo trailed off, letting out a sob, and accepting the tight hug he was pulled into.

"I would never abandon you." Donnie whispered.

"Not even if I was hurt and holding back the team?" Leo asked near silently. "Not even if I was being stupid, or vain, or useless, or-"

"Leonardo, when I say that I'd never abandon you, I mean it." Donnie whispered. "No matter how annoying you may get, you are my twin brother. No bond is stronger, and I'll be damned if you truly think we're an exception."

"But… I'm always so stupid… and so… useless… and so- so narcissistic!" Leo cried, burying his face in the crook of Donnie's neck. "I'm the worst! I don't deserve you guys! You don't need me!"

"That is not true!" Donnie responded, pushing Leo back slightly so they could make eye contact. Quiet, broken gasps filled Donnie's ears, and it took everything in him to keep from crying as well.

"It isn't?" Leo asked, sniffling as a few tears were wiped away.

"Not one bit." Donnie whispered, bumping his forehead against Leo's. "The mark you've made on this family is incredible, and there is no way that we would be where we are today if you weren't here."

"You're just saying that…" Leo whimpered, still crying, despite his brother's constant reassurance. "You don't want me. You don't need me."

"Leo, that is not true. We love you so much. We all do. Dad, April, Raph, Mikey-"

"You?" Leo asked.

"Me especially." Donnie affirmed. "With all of my heart."

"Every bit of it?"

"From my right atria to my left ventricle."

Leo let out a breathy laugh, greatly appreciating the second hug he was given. From that moment on, Donnie made a promise. Every morning, Leo would be met with a reminder that he was loved. Every afternoon, Leo would be asked if he was feeling appreciated.

And every night, Leo was told that he would never be abandoned, because he was loved too much.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Three chapters in one day! Granted, they're _really_ short, but I'm still proud nonetheless! :D__


	13. Sick People Need Rest! (*)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie's starting to get tired of Leo not following rules.

"What's wrong with you?"

"Uhm… what?"

"You heard me. What's wrong with you?"

Leo pursed his lips, glancing to Raph in confusion. The Snapper shrugged, looking to Donnie as if asking the same question. Donnie didn't say anything, glaring at Leo in what seemed like expectancy. The Slider was unable to give a reply, as he truthfully didn't understand what he was being asked. As far as Leo knew, he was perfectly fine.

"Hmm… prolonged silence, distance, inability to process words… you're sick." Donnie concluded. "You need rest. Tons of it."

"I'm sorry, what now?" Raph muttered, looking at Leo intensely. "Donnie, he's fine."

"Says the non-scientist." Donnie scoffed, taking hold of Leo's right hand. "You need to take a long nap, followed by a healthy meal, and a long bath."

"Dude, what are you talking about? I'm fine!" Leo huffed, slapping Donnie's hand away. "And stop holding my hand! I'm not a baby!"

"But you're sick!" Donnie shouted, grabbing Leo's hand once more. "You need rest!"

"Why do you keep saying that?! I'm not sick!" Leo groaned, continuously slapping Donnie's hand.

"This coming from someone not trained in the medical field." Donnie retorted.

"Neither are you!" Leo shouted. "The only thing you did was read a book and claim to be a genius!"

"Sick people need to rest, Leo." Donnie stated, pointedly ignoring Leo's true statement. "I'm not risking anything."

"wHaT wOuLD yOu bE rISkInG?!" Leo asked, whining as he was dragged into his own room, being thrown onto his bed brashly.

"Sleep." Donnie ordered, crossing his arms. "I'm standing here until you do so."

Leo snorted, plopping onto his back and murmuring. A stern look was sent to Leo before he turned his carapace to Donnie, closing his eyes and pretending to be asleep. A curt nod was given, along with a triumphant hum before Donnie left. A few seconds passed before Leo hopped out of bed, sneaking around and ending up next to Raph once more.

"What was that about?" Raph asked.

"Pfft, shit if I know." Leo replied nonchalantly. The duo then watched a Lou Jitsu movie for around fifteen minutes before a loud, dramatic scream was heard. "Ah, damn it."

"Leo! You're supposed to be asleep!" Donnie shouted. "Come on! I'm taking you to the lab, where you'll be heavily-"

"DONNIE! STOP IT! I'm not sick! I haven't been sick for three months, I haven't been around anyone sick, and I'm not even able to get sick anymore!"

Donnie frowned, watching as Leo huffed, and whimpering as everything around him became wavy. By now, the world around Donatello had started to break, and he aggressively dug the palms of his hands against his eyes to be rid of the tears he'd been crying for nearly an hour now.

Around the Softshell, the lair was replaced with the large trees in the woods, and Donnie closed his eyes, refusing to accept what was in front of him. In seconds, Donnie was on his knees, tears falling onto the ground, and sinking into the ground. Gentle chirping and soft squeaking led Donnie's eyes to open, and he snarled at the sight of a mouse that had climbed atop the tombstone in front of him.

"GET OFF OF HIM!" Donnie screamed, slapping the mouse away. "He needs to rest!"

Brief silence was created, but was broken when Donnie started to weep.

"You're sick, Leo… and sick people need to rest…" Donnie whispered, tracing a hand along his twin brother's tombstone. "Just keep resting until you feel better. I'll have some food ready when you get back, okay?"

Silence.

"Okay. Sleep well little twin… I love you."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ngl, I cried while writing this.


	14. In Opposition (*)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every now and then, it's the most emotionally unavailable sibling who must push past his act to comfort his twin.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, so, this is set after Leo has a major panic attack. So, heads up for anyone who doesn't do well with reading about anything related.
> 
> I'm prone to panic attacks, so this is somewhat of a relief chapter. Please don't read this if it will affect you negatively.
> 
> Most importantly, stay safe y'all.

"Shh… breathe, Leo… breathe. Everything is going to be perfectly fine. Just breathe."

Quick, unsteady breaths were drowned out by calm and gentle whispering, both of which having been present due to one of Leo's most recent panic attacks. After nearly five minutes of hyperventilating and screaming, Leo was finally being held in a protective hug, snuggled against his twin brother and savoring the feeling of the rare contact. The two had curled up together in a corner of Donnie's lab, far away from the main atrium where the attack started.

"I… I don't… I'm s-"

"Shh… you don't have to apologize." Donnie whispered, rubbing Leo's carapace in hopes of comforting his younger twin. "It was out of your control."

"I should have known…" Leo whimpered, sniffling and shaking. "I should have known… I should have known…"

"Leon, there is no possible way that you could have predicted this would happen. No one here is judging you for something you couldn't control." Donnie assured, holding Leo closer. "You can't blame yourself for this."

"But why me?" Leo asked, leaning back and looking into Donnie's eyes, searching for any sort of answer. "Why do I have them?"

"I… have no idea." Donnie admitted. "There could be multiple reasons, but I cannot think of nary a one at the moment."

"Hehe… you're a nerd." Leo sniffled, poking Donnie's forehead. "Nerdy twin brother."

Donnie smiled, relieved that Leo was feeling better. A gentle nudge was shared between the two, and they trilled in unison.

"Silly twin brother." Donnie chuckled.

"Brother o' Mine." Leo whispered, wrapping a pinky around one of Donnie's.

"And he of mine." Donnie responded. The two sat for a minute longer before Leo backed away, standing and thanking Donnie before rushing out of the lab. It was then that the Softshell let out a heavy sigh, holding his hands to his heart. "Until the end of time."


	15. Taking Requests!

Hey guys! So, sadly, I have been suffering from the ever-persistent Writer's Block. Because of this, I am now taking any sort of requests/prompts!

I ask that you please keep request/prompt comments on this chapter specifically, that way I don't have to travel through chapters to try and remember whose I am working on.

So, with that said, please don't hesitate to give me ideas! :D

~Iamacarrot


	16. Unfair (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some tea gets too hot, and needs a-spillin'.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Request/Prompt from Wanda Farmer:
> 
> Maybe a story on Leon being jealous of Mikey and Don. Don then explaining how Mikey helps and how different but equal it really is.

"Whoa! That's so cool Dee! I wish I was as smart as you!"

"Oh, trust me Michael, no you do not."

A cheerful giggle rang through the living room as Donnie showed off his most recent invention, a medium sized robot that looked like a dog, and had the ability to record everything around it. At first, Donnie had attempted to show it to Splinter, but was unable to catch the rat at a good moment. Next up was Raph, and the Snapper praised Donnie for the invention, urging Donnie to go show everyone else.

Which, to Donnie, meant "Go show Mikey and April."

"What's cool? Did I miss something?" Leo asked, poking his head into the living room. Donnie groaned under his breath, rolling his eyes as Leo moved forward.

"Donnie made a cool robot spy dog!" Mikey announced, showing off the invention. "It's got all kinds of settings and stuff, and Donnie said that he'd let us test it out!"

"What? When? He never showed this to me." Leo muttered.

"Really?" Mikey asked. "Huh."

"Leon, do you need something? I would appreciate it if you allowed me to show Mikey how to use the K-Spy in peace." Donnie remarked.

"Uhm… well… do you think you could show me how to use it?" Leo asked hopefully, frowning as he received an immediate no. "Fine. I have better things to do anyways…"

"Uh-huh, okay." Donnie dismissed.

"Bye Leo!" Mikey chirped, smiling widely and paying close attention to the places he could and could not operate the K-Spy.

The next hour between Donnie and Mikey was spent bonding, and they had nothing more than smiles on their faces throughout the day. Meanwhile, Leo and Raph were left to their own devices. Due to this, Raph spent time lifting weights, while Leo sat on the floor of the atrium and muttered to himself.

"Dude, are you okay?" Raph asked suddenly. "You've been talking to yourself for the past... ten minutes now."

"I'm fine, Raph." Leo scoffed.

"You sure? Because you really look like you need to vent." Raph pointed out, taking note of Leo's tense stature. "Like… a lot."

"I don't need to vent, Raph. I'm. Perfectly. Fine." Leo hissed, refusing to look at his eldest brother.

For fear that he would be judged for beginning to cry.

"Alright, whatever you say." Raph sighed, knowing that he wasn't capable of doing anything more.

Later that night, the brothers left to patrol, finding it to be unusually silent, save for the occasional whistling of discomfort. Everyone knew why it was so quiet, but no one felt up to pointing out Leo's sorrowful attitude. Especially considering how no one knew why he was acting in such a way to begin with.

It didn't take long, however, for Raph to come up with a plan.

"How about we split up?" Raph suggested, understanding the shocked gasps he earned. "Hear me out, guys: we don't normally cover that much ground quickly when we're in one clump, so why not at least test this out?"

"But what about your whole: "Mad Dogz stick together" quip?" Donnie asked. Raph shrugged, a large smile on his face.

"Come on, guys. Just for one patrol." Raph chimed. "If this doesn't work, then we can continue to stick together."

Reluctant agreeances were given, and Raph nodded.

"Now, to make sure we don't die, we're going to split into two g-"

"I choose Mikey!" Donnie shouted.

"Guess I'm stuck with Raph, then." Leo sighed, kicking a nearby rock. No emotion was in Leo's statement, and the blankest of looks was on his face. "Let's just get this over with."

"Actually," Raph hummed, "Donnie, you're going to be paired with Leo. Mikey will be with me."

"Oh. Great." Donnie huffed, raising a brow at Leo's lack of response. Positive, or negative.

"Great! So, Mikey and I'll go right, you guys go left! We'll patrol and meet at April's apartment complex." Raph announced. The brothers then went their separate ways, and Mikey frowned.

"Why is Leo so sad?" Mikey asked quietly.

"I'm not sure. But, if anyone can knock him out of being so down, it's his monster of a twin." Raph replied jokingly. Mikey giggled, a bounce in his step as he and Raph began their patrol.

Meanwhile, the twins were silently patrolling, neither knowing how to make things less awkward. This process lasted for nearly eight minutes before an idea came to Donnie's mind.

"You ever wonder how to tell the difference between a star and a planet?" Donnie asked. Leo stayed silent, not even glancing at his brother. This didn't stop the Softshell, though. "It's actually fairly easy. You see, because stars are entirely made up of gas, they give off this sort of illusion that makes it look as if they're blinking in the sky."

Nothing.

So, Donnie continued.

"Planets, however, have an atmosphere, thus making them unable to have such a blinking effect. Though, sometimes stars can be a bit too small, occasionally making it difficult to tell if it's "blinking," per se." Donnie finished. "Pretty cool, huh?"

Not even an annoyed scoff.

"Alright, that's it." Donnie hissed, gripping Leo's arm and stopping Leo in his tracks. "What is wrong with you?"

"I'm just tired…" Leo fibbed, averting his eyes as Donnie stepped in front of him.

"Does the wild Slider enjoy a winter's breeze?"

"I… No…"

"Exactly."

Leo sighed heavily, crossing his arms and whining. Donnie rose a brow, sending a sort of "I'm taking no shit" vibe to his brother.

"Fine…" Leo muttered. "I just… I kind of… you don't… I dunno!"

"Yes, you do." Donnie replied. "And I can stand here all night. I'm running on three cups of caffeinated coffee with three sugars and half a cup of creamer each."

"That's… really unhealthy." Leo murmured. Donnie growled, driving Leo to finally speak. "Alright! Fine! I just… I don't see how it's fair that you love Mikey more than anyone else!"

"What the? Love Mikey m-" Donnie paused, thinking over the statement before bursting into laughter. An amused trill led Donnie to pull Leo into a side hug. "Hamato Leonardo, am I really standing here listening to you of all mutants say you're jealous of Mikey?"

"What?! No! I just said that it was unfair!" Leo whined, trying to push Donnie away. "Why would I be jealous?!"

"Does a Crow remember her captor's face?" Donnie asked knowingly. Leo pouted, but nodded nonetheless. "So, answer the question, why would you be jealous?"

"I'm-"

"Answer the question."

"Bleh…" Leo huffed, shifting before sighing heavily. "I guess I just want you to stop picking favorites."

"So… you're saying that you should be my favorite?" Donnie inquired.

"It would be nice." Leo replied.

"But I thought you said you didn't want me picking favorites." Donnie hummed, snickering at Leo's unamused snort. "Look, though I may show much enjoyment in bonding with Michael, remember that we have moments when we don't get along as well."

"That isn't true! You're only capable of hating me!" Leo shouted.

"When did I say I hated anyone?" Donnie asked, grunting as his arm was bitten. "Ah, so you just want to be dramatic now. I see."

"I get it from you." Leo childishly remarked. Donnie chuckled, laying his head atop Leo's.

"Maybe." Donnie chimed. The twins then stood in this position for as long as time would let them.

Which was thirty seconds, after which the familiar snorting of Meat Sweats was conjoined with Mikey's war cry.

"We should go help them." Donnie hummed.

"But I wanna hug!" Leo whined.

"Surprisingly, same." Donnie agreed, the two sitting on the edge of the building and watching their brothers fight a surprisingly successful battle. "Yeah, they'll be fine.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope this turned out well. I did notice that I skipped out on one or two notions of the request, but hopefully this didn't stray too far from the intended drabble.
> 
> And thank you to Wanda Farmer for the request/prompt! :D


	17. Strange Reactions (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys watch The Lion King for the first time.
> 
> Leo doesn't react too well.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from SnowbellaAndFriends

"Huh. It's exactly like Hamlet."

Leo looked at Donnie in shock and fear. For the Softshell to say something so nonchalant after seeing something so mind boggling was enough to put Leo on edge. They had just witnessed a straight up _murder,_ for crying out loud, and all Donnie could do was compare it to some old timey writing?!__

_ _Who does that?!_ _

_ _"Don, we just witnessed a murder! They were brothers! They were supposed to love each other!" Leo shouted._ _

_ _"Just because they were related doesn't mean they had to love each other." Donnie hummed, shrugging. "There have been plenty of instances like this in history. It just doesn't always work out between siblings."_ _

_ _Leo's eyes were wide, and he slowly moved away from Donnie._ _

_ _"So… you would do the same?" Leo asked. Donnie didn't reply, he merely gave an emotionless "eh" to fill the silence. And because of that, Leo had been on edge for the next week. Every corner turned was always observed carefully before being walked around, every high ledge was walked along with caution, and every bit of food was nibbled on out of fear that it had been poisoned._ _

_ _"Leo? Are you feeling okay?" Raph finally asked after a week of this behavior. "You've seemed really on edge lately."_ _

_ _"Hmm? Oh! Yeah, I'm good, fam." Leo replied hastily. "I just have a few things on my mind."_ _

_ _"Well they must be pretty important, considering how you've been acting like a skittish hatchling for the past week." Mikey snickered, play nudging Leo's arm. "Think some sparring will help?"_ _

_ _"Uhm…"_ _

_ _"Boys! Today will be another training day! Prepare yourselves to be focused on close range combat!" Splinter announced._ _

_ _"I guess you don't have a choice." Raph hummed. Leo chuckled in amusement, letting out a chirp of surprise as his head was pushed down slightly._ _

_ _"So, what's new?" Donnie asked, leaning on Leo's carapace, despite the Slider's protests._ _

_ _"Dad's makin' us train for hand-to-hand combat." Raph announced. "Or, in my case, claw-to-tail combat."_ _

_ _"Huh. And uh… what's up with Leo?" Donnie inquired, poking his twin's snout repeatedly._ _

_ _Loud snarls stopped the poking almost instantly._ _

_ _"I dunno." Raph admitted._ _

_ _"He's been acting real edgy lately." Mikey hummed. "Ever since that Backwards Gisney movie."_ _

_ _"Please stop calling it that…" Donnie huffed, smirking in amusement as Leo started to produce an onslaught of pissed off hisses and yowls. "And you need to take a chill pill."_ _

_ _Leo grumbled, sitting up straight once his brothers raced off to meet Splinter in the main atrium. It didn't take long for Leo to catch up, and the boys stood straight, awaiting their instructions._ _

_ _"Today, you boys will be pitted against each other." Splinter announced. "Each of you have a distinct fighting style with your weapons, but I want to observe how you fight without them, if you can."_ _

_ _"Hai, Sensei!" the brothers replied, turning to each other and waiting for their call to start._ _

_ _"Kaishi!" Splinter shouted, watching intently as his sons clumsily battled each other. Multiple hits landed were accidental, and the brothers were almost constantly tripping over Raph's tail. A low groan was given by Splinter, and he was just about to call for an end._ _

_ _An action that was immediately fulfilled at the sight of Leo scratching the everloving Hell out of Donnie's face._ _

_ _"YAME!" Splinter screamed, launching between the twins and separating them. "Donatello, show me your injuries."_ _

_ _A quick hiss of pain was followed by Donnie revealing a line of scratches along his left cheek. They weren't too deep per se, yet still required attention, considering how many there were and how quickly they were bleeding. Not too long after, tears were mixing in with Donnie's wounds, and he gave a loud wail, covering his scratches._ _

_ _"Leonardo! Explain yourself!" Splinter ordered, turning to find his blue-banded son beginning to cry as well._ _

_ _"I didn't… I was just… I…" Leo couldn't find any words to excuse himself, and was unable to keep his eyes away from Donnie's wounds. "I'm sorry! I didn't want to do it! It was an accident! I swear!"_ _

_ _"How was it an accident?!" Donnie scoffed, glaring at Leo the best he could. "You knew where you were aiming! There's no way that this was an accident!"_ _

_ _"Don-"_ _

_ _"No! I don't want to hear it! For once, why can't you just admit that you did something on purpose?!"_ _

_ _"But Donnie, I swear that it wasn't!"_ _

_ _A loud, mocking laugh made Leo take a step back, and he lowered his head submissively, guilt clear in his body language._ _

_ _"Cantaloupe, I-"_ _

_ _"DON'T CALL ME THAT!" Donnie screamed. "I don't want anything to do with you right now! Urgh! I swear, if I could, I would kill you!"_ _

_ _And with that, Leo was racing away, escaping to the top, and disappearing into the city. A low, collective huff escaped the rest of the family, and Donnie wandered off to tend to his wounds. Raph and Mikey looked to Splinter._ _

_ _"You may go rest. The twins need time to gather themselves." Splinter sighed. "I am going to watch Tv…"_ _

_ _"Think they'll make up?" Mikey asked._ _

_ _"Leo was two Cantaloupes away from an apology-acceptance nuzzle. They should be fine." Raph assured. Mikey nodded, following his eldest brother into the kitchen._ _

_ _In the meantime, Donnie was finishing up the process of cleaning his wounds, deciding that they didn't need stitches. That wasn't to say that they didn't hurt, just that they weren't as painful as before. A look in the mirror led Donnie to sigh, and he thought over his words to Leo._ _

_ _After An entire week of being on edge, why was it that Leo finally decided to attack someone today of all days? It just didn't make sense! He had no understandable reason to-_ _

_ _Wait a second._ _

_ _"Oh my muffins… Leo, you drama queen." Donnie groaned, rolling his eyes as he walked out of his lab. "I'm going to Run-of-the-Mill to chide Leo!"_ _

_ _"Bring him back in one piece, please!" Raph shouted._ _

_ _"I make no promises!" Donnie replied, snickering at Splinter's shout of displeasure._ _

_ _It took around ten minutes- taking into consideration the fact that Donnie pretty much strolled the entire way there -for Donatello to reach Run-of-the-Mill, but only a sixteenth of the time to find Leo. At the moment, the Slider was sitting at a two person table, silently nursing a glass of what Donnie really hoped was apple juice._ _

_ _Because Pizza Supreme knows what kind of laws differed in the Hidden City when it came to age restrictions._ _

_ _"Sir, are you ready to order?" Donnie asked sarcastically, sitting across the table from Leo. When no response was given, Donnie hummed. "So… you wanna tell me what convinced you that I was out for your blood?"_ _

_ _Leo blushed, taking a sip of his drink._ _

_ _"Leo…" Donnie urged._ _

_ _"Fine! It's just… you just seemed so calm about it! The death scene, I mean. He killed his big brother, and all you could say was: It's just like Hamlet, as if it didn't really happen!" Leo huffed._ _

_ _"It was a movie." Donnie reminded._ _

_ _"And Hamlet was a play." Leo retorted. "But that stuff still happens. You said so yourself."_ _

_ _"Oh my muffins, Leo." Donnie chuckled, shaking his head. "Just because it happens elsewhere, doesn't mean it's guaranteed to happen to us."_ _

_ _"You said you wanted to kill me!" Leo whined._ _

_ _"I was angry." Donnie calmly stated._ _

_ _"But if you weren't hurt, you would have done it." Leo huffed, incredibly sure of himself. "Speaking of which… sorry about that."_ _

_ _"It's fine." Donnie assured, snatching Leo's drink. A quick sip of the stuff was enough to make Donnie pull out a piece of paper, writing a detailed note to Hueso about how incredibly irresponsible it was to allow children to drink alcohol. "Come on. We're going home."_ _

_ _"Are you mad?" Leo asked feebly, allowing himself to be grabbed by the arm._ _

_ _"Incredibly." Donnie replied, hugging Leo close. "But not literal kill you mad."_ _

_ _"That's good." Leo hummed. "So… Don?"_ _

_ _"Yes, you may use the nickname." Donnie sighed, knowing he would regret giving Leo permission to use such an adorable nickname._ _

_ _"I swear Cantaloupe, it was an accident! Please don't be super mad at me Cantaloupe!" Leo whined, smiling and trilling happily as he earned a forgiving nuzzle._ _

_ _"I bet you're happy, aren't you?" Donnie muttered. Leo nodded smugly, not caring a bit as his snout was flicked in scolding. "Here's a proposal: If I allow you to use your designated nickname for me, I have to be allowed to do the same."_ _

_ _"But-"_ _

_ _"Nope! It's that, or no more Cantaloupes for my little twin." Donnie interrupted. Leo pouted, but nodded nonetheless._ _

_ _Cantaloupe privileges were too precious of an advantage to lose._ _

_ _"And now I have the ability to use my own affectionate term… Jackass." Donnie snickered._ _

_ _"Can we change my nickname? I don't like that one!" Leo whined._ _

_ _"Want to lose nickname privileges?"_ _

_ _"No…"_ _

_ _"Then your nickname stays the same."_ _

_ _Leo huffed, a bit less excitable about the secondary nuzzle he received. An unapologetically loving laugh was enough to pull Leo out of his funk, and the brothers spent the rest of their walk home talking about how great the movie was, despite the death and murder._ _

_ _As well as how they both found it so fucking confusing that Mikey refused to say anything more than Backwards Gisney._ _


	18. Oh, I Don't Think So (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie doesn't take too well to learning that his own double has oh-so easily gained Leo's attention.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from TheBluePaladin

"You're so adorable!"

Donnie spit out his coffee, sputtering as he turned to see his supposed "past self" patting Leo's head fondly. The Slider purred in response, tail wagging at the unusual affection. A disgusted scoff came from Raphael, and he punched Donatello's arm, reeling back at the aggressive hiss he was met with.

"Dude, I was just messin' around." Raphael muttered, backing away slightly.

Leo growled, his anger fading at Donatello's amused giggle. An almost childish gleam was in Leo's eyes, and he nuzzled against Donatello. It was then that Donnie frowned, walking over to his twin and double.

"And what, if I may ask, is going on here?" Donnie inquired, a disturbingly hostile smile on his face.

"Your past self is treating me like the god I am." Leo replied jokingly.

"I see…" Donnie muttered, crossing his arms. "What brought this situation on?"

"Well, I was working on a batch on retro-mutagen, and your Leo wandered into my lab. At first I found it annoying, but his unusual sense of being so in tune with his instincts drew me from my work." Donatello explained.

"I chased a red dot." Leo proudly stated. "And I almost caught it."

"Sure you did." Donatello chuckled, looking to Donnie. "I hope my affection towards him isn't too… upsetting."

"Of course not! Why would it be?" Donnie replied, quite unconvincingly. "It isn't like I feel betrayed due to his sudden affection towards a version of me we just met, considering how he's spent his entire life by my side. You know, with us being twins and all."

Leo and Donatello shared an awkward glance, moving away from each other, and letting out a sigh of relief once all hostility left Donnie's face. No words were said as Donnie walked away, and Leo hummed. A brief hug was given to Donatello before Leo wandered off to find Michelangelo.

Mayhaps Mikey would react the same way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... Donnie is a petty twin brother, huh?


	19. It's Okay, I Still Won! (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo just doesn't know when to put his own health before his competitive spirit.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Suggestion from CoupdeFruita:
> 
> Perhaps a game of some sort that gets a little too out of hand.

"Oh Cantaloupe! Where are you? Come on out, I just want to play!"

A low snicker was let out from Donnie's hiding place, and he smiled from his area in the shadows. A soft hiss was let out as Leo crawled around on all fours, snout to the ground as he searched for his twin's scent. Yes, it was a strange thing, but this was the way the brothers had been playing Hide-and-Seek for years. It kept them in tune with their instincts, and was now a reasonable excuse to train on their own in a playful way.

"Cantaloupe… where are you?" Leo asked, his tone threatening and animalistic. "Come out and play with me!"

Another soft hiss was given, and Leo stopped, crouching down and sending out a specialized call used to communicate with his twin.

"Hey! That's against the rules!" Donnie shouted, pouncing out of the shadows, and knocking Leo to the ground. A loud "Pop!" was followed by Leo whimpering loudly, and Donnie backed away to reveal Leo's dislocated shoulder. "Ohmigosh! I'm so sorry!"

"I'm perfectly fine with this!" Leo shouted, despite the searing pain in his shoulder. "I won!"

Donnie growled, gripping Leo's arm, and popping Leo's shoulder back into place. A loud scream of surprise and pain was earned, and Donnie smirked.

Even as he was bitten and pinned to the floor for an entire hour.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is super short, but I still like how it turned out. I hope y'all do too! :D


	20. Not To Be Trifled With (*)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A group of Yokai upset Leo in ways unimaginable, and Donnie is prepared to do anything it takes to avenge his twin brother.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay, heads up: This is a _really dark_ chapter. Please read with caution.__

No one knew what had caused it. No one knew why it had happened. No one knew what could have been so bad, that it made none other than Hamato Leonardo race into the lair, refusing to say a word as he threw himself into his twin brother's arms.

A barrage of questions was given to Leo, but he seemed too afraid to answer any of them. Several minutes passed before Leo was even able to give one word answers, but even then did he react negatively to every worried question he received. This situation lasted for two agonizing hours before Leo calmly leant against Donnie's plastron, purring quietly as he was given a reassuring preening session.

"Want to tell us what happened now?" Donnie asked. Leo shuddered, nodding to his best ability.

"Earlier today, Señor Hueso called me to help him with business at the Run-of-the-Mill, and he promised that he'd give us a deal of half off every pizza we bought for a week. I didn't believe him at first, but I still decided to help, so I went to see what I was needed for…" Leo paused, holding one of Donnie's arms closer.

"You don't have to rush." Raph assured. Leo sighed, opening his mouth to continue.

"When I got there, Hueso had me work as a waiter, and everything seemed perfectly fine at first." Leo was now speaking at a near whisper. "After a while, I came up to this group of Yokai, took their drink orders, and turned to leave…"

"And then?" Donnie urged.

"One of them… grabbed my tail…" Leo whimpered, almost squeaking as he was briefly held in a death grip.

"What did you do in response?" Raph asked, a hint of death in his eyes.

"I turned back around and told them to stop, then I walked back into the kitchen, told Hueso, and he went out to talk to the group." Leo whimpered, unable to hold back a smile as he was hugged by Mikey. "After he talked to them, I went out to give them their drinks, and they were looking at me all weird."

"Did they say anything?" Donnie asked. A hiss was building in his chest, yet he wanted to stay as calm as possible, so as to not scare Leo even more.

"Before I left, one of them asked for my number, and another said that I was too pretty to be working as a waiter." Leo replied. "They said I should be working somewhere where I'd be more… _appreciated…"___

_ __ _

_ __ _

"Hamato Donatello, wipe that snarl off your face." Raph hissed under his breath. The Softshell did as told, but was mentally going over ways to avenge his poor little twin.

Turning them inside out? No, not painful enough. Slicing them open and experimenting on them while they were still alive? Maybe, but that would be a little messy. Iron Maiden? Too much of a hassle to clean.

"Don? Are you gonna kill them?" Leo asked, looking up at his purple banded brother.

"Eventually? Perhaps." Donnie hummed, smiling deviously as Raph sneered.

"What are you gonna do to them first?" Leo asked.

"I haven't landed on anything." Donnie hummed. "Why? Do you have an idea?"

Leo smiled, nodding before leaning forwards and whispering his idea to Donnie. A large, sadistic smile appeared on Donatello's face, and he laughed in a disturbing manner.

"Such a deliciously terrifying choice." Donnie whispered.

"Am I going to have to drop Mikey off at April's again?" Raph asked in exasperation.

"I would recommend it immensely." Donnie replied with a wicked sneer.

An eye roll was followed by Raph picking Mikey up, carrying the small teen to April's. When he returned, Raph wasn't at all surprised to be met with the sight of the twins setting up a series of traps and weapons that resembled those from the Saw franchise.

"Do not mess with these. They are incredulously deadly, and will cause a ridiculously large amount of injury if handled incorrectly." Donnie advised. "Come now, Leon. Lead me to these regulars of Hueso's."

Raph looked at the array of traps and weapons with an unamused and unimpressed sigh, throwing his hands up in defeat. By this point, the Snapper was honestly getting tired of how sadistic this family truly was.

Right now, all Raph wanted was a long nap.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For those of you who read this chapter and/or pushed through to make it this far, congrats! I hope you enjoyed my view on the darker side of the brothers.


	21. A Serious Matter (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The boys bet on a _VERY SERIOUS_ issue.__

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was really a mixture of a suggestion and complete and utter inspiration from a 5 year old.

"Greetings, gentlemen. I would just like to briefly thank you for appearing to such an important gathering. As you know, we… yes, Donatello?"

"Your scumbag ass told me I would be getting coffee!"

"And that's what I told that rabbit! Caprisun! You're fired!"

A quiet squeak sounded as a nearby stuffed rabbit fell onto its side. Leo scoffed, shaking his head in disappointment.

"It's like there are no more good assistants in this world anymore." Leo sighed. "My apologies, brother. Please, feel free to make yourself some coffee."

Donnie huffed, standing from the playset chair he was sitting in, and walking up to a toy coffee pot. A few minutes passed before Donnie returned to the mock tea party table with a cup of pretend coffee. Next to the Softshell, a stuffed Rhino leaned against him.

"I completely agree, Mr. Hugs." Donnie sighed, glancing to Leo.

"Ay, Mr. Hugs! You talking shit about me?!" Leo asked, yeeting a playset cup at the toy.

"And he wonders why his employees don't work at peak performance…" Donnie muttered, taking a sip of his fake coffee. "So, what's our status report?"

"Over the past few years, Teacup Cookie sales have been declining at an alarming rate." Leo explained, pointing at a large piece of paper that had been taped to the wall. On the paper was a crayon drawing of three different data tables, each showing a dramatic decrease of some sort.

"So? Just find some new customers. Simple as that." Donnie hummed.

"You don't get it, bröther!" Leo shouted, standing up suddenly and knocking over the table.

"Hmm, Mrs. Pickles isn't going to be too happy about that." Donnie chuckled, raising a brow as Leo huffed. "Dude, why are you so worried? It's not like there are any neighboring Teacup Scouts."

"Guess again, Dee!"

Donnie and Leo turned in shock, gasping at the sight of Raph and Mikey, who were dressed in professional attire.

"There's a new Scout Pack in town, and we're gonna wipe the floor with you!" Mikey shouted triumphantly. Before he could say anything more, everyone looked to Mr. Hugs, gasping after an entire second.

"Mr. Hugs! That kind of trash talk will not be tolerated in this Scout Pack! You are relieved of your place in this group!" Leo shouted, picking up Mr. Hugs and yeeting him across the lair.

"Well, well, well… more proof that we're going to triumph, I see." Raph hummed smugly.

"That display of unruly behavior means nothing!" Donnie scoffed, crossing his arms. "And our corporation has been around for years! There is no way that you could possibly overtake our reputation so easily!"

"I wouldn't be too sure about that, bucky." Mikey chuckled. "Your Double Corporate Teacup Cookies are old news."

"Yeah! People will easily want to come to us when they taste our new recipe!" Raph added.

"New recipe?! There's no way!" Leo shouted. "A new recipe rids the cookies of their brand name!"

"Huh, I guess it does." Mikey hummed. "Oh well, then we'll just start our own business!"

"And we're gonna call it… RISING BAKERS!"

"Rising Bakers? Pfft! What kind of name is that?" Donnie scoffed.

"The honest kind." Mikey hummed. Donnie and Leo blushed at the subtle accusation, but the heat disappeared as Raph and Mikey snickered. "Just face it. We're the best. End of story."

"Hah! As if!" Leo exclaimed, stepping up to Mikey. "How about we make a little wager?"

"Leo…" Donnie muttered.

"A wager, eh?" Mikey inquired, glancing up at Raph briefly before looking back to Leo. "We're listening…"

"Leo, please don't do this…" Donnie whimpered.

"Here's the deal: Whoever sells the least products by the end of today has to admit defeat." Leo stated.

"And of the winner?" Raph asked.

"The winner gets custody of the loser's company." Leo replied.

"LEO! YOU IDIOT!" Donnie screamed.

"Wow! You drive a hard bargain!" Mikey chimed, thinking over the circumstances before smirking. "It's a deal."

The two then shook hands, making the deal official. Donnie screamed in terror, falling onto his knees and muttering a slew of curses in Reptongue.

"Wow. You guys really need a rule on that whole cursing thing." Raph muttered. Leo chuckled in embarrassment, watching as his brothers walked off.

"Leo! You've doomed us!" Donnie shouted, shaking his twin by the shoulders.

"No I haven't!" Leo scoffed, taking hold of Donnie's face. "Look, I know what I'm doing. So what if they have a new recipe? That doesn't substitute for our secret weapon!"

"That being?" Donnie asked, now less encouraged.

"Our love for each other." Leo chimed sweetly. Donnie frowned briefly before chuckling, pushing Leo back playfully. "So, you in?"

"Eh… I don't really have a choice at this point." Donnie sighed, smiling at his twin's excited cheer.

"We're going to win this bet!" Leo shouted. "I believe in us!"

"Yeah… woo-hoo…" Donnie cheered halfheartedly. "Let's sell some corporate cookies."

The twins then spent the next eight hours doing their best to gather as many proceeds as possible, groaning and whining as lunch was called. In the living room, the boys decided to sit according to their business, intending to talk over their next plan of action.

After nearly five minutes of his brothers warming up pizza, Leo spent another three minutes fixing ramen, thinking to himself about how he and Donnie could easily bring up sales. Once his food was done, Leo waltzed into the living room, expecting to find his twin patiently waiting for him.

And gasping in shock as he was met with the sight of Donnie signing a contract with Raph and Mikey.

"DONNIE! WHAT THE HELL?!" Leo screamed, startling his brothers.

"Leo! I, uh… this isn't… I was just, uh…" Donnie couldn't find a believable excuse, so he merely sighed before telling the truth. "Look, after our most recent sale, I did the math and… well… the numbers don't lie. There was no way we would win this bet."

"So you were going to willingly betray me?!" Leo asked, his voice picking up an octave. Donnie cringed, unable to look his twin in the eye. "I thought it was us until the end! You promised to be there with me through thick and thin!"

"Leo-"

"No! I don't want to hear it!" Leo shouted. "Apparently love and family means nothing when it comes to business, huh?"

Everyone put on a look of shame as Leo stormed off into his room.

"I should… probably go apologize to him." Donnie sighed. Raph and Mikey nodded in understanding. With a small smile, Donnie stood, cautiously walking into Leo's room. "Hey…"

"Go away." Leo huffed sadly. "I don't wanna play Teacup Scouts anymore…"

Donnie frowned, continuing on his way into his brother's room. Nothing needed to be said as Donnie sat down next to Leo on the Slider's bed. A heavy sigh was shared between the twins, and they shared a quick glance before looking to their own muses.

At the moment, Leo's main way of ignoring his brother was with the noodles he'd prepared, and he mumbled to himself with every mouthful of food. Donnie hummed, looking around Leo's surprisingly well-kempt room. The floor was clear of all junk and dust, the shelves, action figures, and mini statues were dusted and placed neatly, and Leo's bed was made up with clean sheets.

Something that gave Donnie an idea.

"Whoops!" Donnie yelped, throwing himself against Leo, and silently cheering as the noodles fell onto Leo's sheets.

"Don! I just cleaned these sheets!" Leo whined. "Ugh! First you betray me, and then you mess up my room?! Do you have some sort of vendetta against me?!"

Donnie snickered, a cute little grin on his face as he looked at his twin's- honestly half-assed -frown. Seconds passed before the two were giggling in unison, hugging each other tightly.

"I hate you." Leo childishly joked.

"Sure you do." Donnie chuckled. "And I hate you."

Leo hummed, looking up at Donnie with a curious gaze.

"What?" Donnie inquired.

"Would you really betray me?" Leo asked. "Like, in a real situation? If we were losing a battle 'cause of a bad plan or something?"

"Leon, you know very well the answer to that question." Donnie chuckled, patting Leo's cheek. "None of us would ever betray you for any reason."

"You betrayed me for cookie sales." Leo muttered. "That was mean."

"Aww, I sowwy." Donnie replied sweetly, patting Leo's face once more. "I no do it no more."

"No more?"

"No more."

Leo smiled, leaning against Donnie even more.

An action that almost made Leo forget about the noodle stain on his bedsheets.

"Damn it…" Leo whispered.

"What?"

"Mr. Hugs was my ticket to the dry cleaners."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Why do y'all think Leo hates Mr. Hugs so much?


	22. Twin-venture Day (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Every year, the twins dedicate one day to spending time to themselves.
> 
> Every year, the adventures get dumber and dumber.

"DONNIE! GUESS WHAT DAY IT IS!"

Donatello screamed in shock, falling out of his swivel chair and landing on the floor with a loud thud. Leo smiled widely, crouching down and chirping excitedly, dancing on his hind legs rapidly. A heavy growl was met with more chirps, and Leo pushed his twin brother up, still smiling despite the pissed off sneer he earned.

"Guess Don! Guess what day it is!" Leo whined, tail wagging rapidly.

A trait that made Donnie swear on his life that he believed Leo was supposed to have been born a dog. Of course, by some freak incident, Leo just-so-happened to be born a turtle.

"GUESS!" Leo screeched, pinning Donnie down.

"Okay! Fine! I dunno… uh… some famous person's birthday?" Donnie asked.

"No, silly!" Leo shouted. "It's _Twin-venture Day!"___

_ _Donnie sat up with just as much excitement as Leo, racing around and preparing for the day's adventure. It didn't take long, and the twins were soon ready to leave, announcing quickly that they were going on their annual Twin-venture._ _

_ _"So, where to this time?" Donnie inquired, knowing that Leo had a set area in mind. Not a hard thing to determine, considering the focused look on Leo's face._ _

_ _"Well, we have to pick up Jerry first!" Leo replied. Donnie hummed, making not a complaint as the two wandered to the other side of town, ending up deep in the woods. The next minute was spent looking for a specific tree Leo had marked for convenience._ _

_ _"Why do you always insist on bringing this weirdo with us every year?" Donnie asked, putting his hands up as a sign of peace when he earned a hiss. "It was just a question, bro."_ _

_ _"Dude, Jerry's cool. You just refuse to get to know him." Leo muttered, gasping as he caught sight of the tree he'd marked. "We're here!"_ _

_ _"That is, unless he moved." Donnie hummed hopefully, smirking at the unamused frown he was given. "I'm not apologizing for my terrible affinity with him."_ _

_ _"Don…" Leo paused, taking a deep breath before looking to his twin sadly. A genuine sadness. "Look, could you just… could you at least pretend to be okay with Jerry? It always makes things so awkward when you two fight."_ _

_ _"Leo-"_ _

_ _"Please? Ever since we met Jerry, these Twin-ventures have been nothing more than you two arguing every five minutes." Leo sighed, subtly wiping away a barely formed tear. "The whole point of Twin-venture Day was to bond with each other… it's the one special day when we can talk and actually be like brothers…"_ _

_ _Donnie sighed heavily, unable to keep himself from feeling guilty. A blip of silence passed before Donnie groaned._ _

_ _"Okay, fine! I'll be nice to Jerry, but that doesn't mean we're friends." Donnie promised, smiling as he was suddenly hugged. "Let it be known that I'm only doing this for you."_ _

_ _"Thanks Don." Leo chimed, nuzzling against Donnie's plastron before approaching the tree. "Jerry! It's Twin-venture Day! Come on!"_ _

_ _Slow movements caused a minute to pass before a large, grey shelled snail traveled down the tree, looking at the turtles. A slow nod was sent to Leo, and he smiled, allowing Jerry to crawl onto his arm, staying still until Jerry reached his head. Once there, Jerry looked at Donnie, giving his own snail version of a glare. Donnie hissed, preparing to curse Jerry out, but stopping himself at the sight of Leo's saddened expression._ _

_ _"Felicitations, Jerry." Donnie huffed. The snail did nothing, signifying that he was ready for them to begin their journey. "So, where to?"_ _

_ _"Ooh! There's this really cool place in the Hidden City I want to show you!" Leo gasped. Jerry booped an eye on Leo's head, a sign of approval._ _

_ _"I'm not so sure, Leo. We aren't necessarily that familiar with the Hidden City. Maybe we should just stay in New York this time." Donnie suggested. Jerry did a little dance of annoyance. "TAKE THAT BACK, YOU SON-OF-A-"_ _

_ _"DONNIE!" Leo whined._ _

_ _"Urgh! Okay! Okay…" Donnie grumbled. "Gerald, while I do not appreciate what you have said, nor do I agree with your views, I will respect them nonetheless."_ _

_ _That frown was still on Leo's face._ _

_ _"Fine. I'm sorry, Jerry." Donnie sighed. "I shouldn't have reacted the way I did."_ _

_ _Leo's smile returned, albeit slowly, and all of Donnie's anger immediately dissipated._ _

_ _"So… that place in the Hidden City…?" Leo asked._ _

_ _"We may go." Donnie replied. Leo cheered, grasping Donnie's hand and leading him to the Run-of-the-Mill._ _

_ _"Hueso! Which entrance to the Hidden City will get us closest to Donna's Diner?" Leo asked. Hueso hummed, looking between the three males in his office._ _

_ _"Well, there is an entrance in the far left corner of my restaurant." Hueso replied. "But why do you want to go?"_ _

_ _"My twin brother and I are on a Twin-venture, and I wanted to show him a cool place in the Hidden City!" Leo announced._ _

_ _"What about the snail?" Hueso asked. Jerry did a little dance. "Ah, I see."_ _

_ _"He is not a chaperone, as we do not need one." Donnie huffed. "The only reason he's with us is because-"_ _

_ _"Cantaloupe…" Leo huffed._ _

_ _"Okay… we've all known each other for quite a while, and have chosen to bring Jerry with us on each annual Twin-venture." Donnie explained, hostility clear in his tone._ _

_ _"That kind of takes away the point of this so called, Twin-venture. Does it not?" Hueso asked._ _

_ _"I've been saying that for years." Donnie whispered through clenched teeth. "Nonetheless, we thank you for your help."_ _

_ _Hueso nodded, watching in great confusion as the twins turned and walked away._ _

_ _"That is a terrible mix of personalities." Hueso muttered to himself._ _

_ _"And, if I do a little… yoink!" Leo chimed, gently pulling out a brick from the wall, and cheering as the group was thrown into the Hidden City. It was a long fall to the ground, and Donnie was grateful that he had his battle shell. A loud yelp was given as Donnie caught Leo just in time, using his battle shell to fly the group down to the ground._ _

_ _"You okay?" Donnie asked. Leo nodded._ _

_ _"Wait, is Jerry still there?!" Leo asked, sighing in relief once Jerry slapped an eye on his head. "That's good."_ _

_ _"Uh-huh. Care about the snail… that's what we're doing." Donnie murmured. "Alright, where's this diner?"_ _

_ _"Right here!" Leo chimed, gesturing to the large building in front of them._ _

_ _"Huh. Convenient." Donnie hummed, grunting as his hand was once again grasped, and he was dragged into the diner._ _

_ _"They have so much food here! They have pizza, burgers, corn, hot dogs, ice cream, pie, cake, soup, stew…" Leo continued his explanation of the diner's food options, and somehow managed to be completely oblivious to the silent death threats shared between Donnie and Jerry._ _

_ _"Leo, I think I need to go take a breath outside." Donnie announced, walking outside._ _

_ _From their place inside, Jerry and Leo both reeled back slightly at the sight of Donatello screeching curses and assaulting a nearby lamppost. A duo of cops appeared to try and calm Donnie down, but were unable to._ _

_ _Because he killed them._ _

_ _Moments later, Leo was storming ahead of his twin brother, sneer on his face as Donnie attempted to apologize repeatedly. All apologies were ignored, and even Jerry was a bit off put by Leo's anger._ _

_ _"Leo, I-"_ _

_ _"I don't want to hear it!" Leo finally shouted, turning and glaring at Donnie with teary eyes. "Look, I have absolutely no idea why you two are acting like this, but it is the exact reason why these Twin-ventures aren't fun anymore!"_ _

_ _"Leo-"_ _

_ _"I thought that you could at least go one trip without arguing with each other, but I guess I was wrong about that too! Just like how I was wrong about thinking that these trips would be able to continue!"_ _

_ _"What? Leo, what are you saying?"_ _

_ _"I'm saying that… that… I don't want to do these Twin-ventures anymore!"_ _

_ _Donnie gasped, swearing that his heart literally broke then and there._ _

_ _"I'm taking Jerry home." Leo huffed. "Don't follow me…"_ _

_ _Donnie whimpered, rubbing his arm and hanging his head low as he trudged home. A somber greeting was given as Donnie walked into the lair, and Raph asked what was wrong._ _

_ _"I screwed things up. Big time." was all that Donnie gave._ _

_ _Nearly an hour passed before Donnie's realization that Leo had yet to return, and he furrowed his brows, grabbing his phone and calling his brother._ _

_ _"Cantaloupe? Is that you?" Leo asked, his voice near silent. Taking the hint, Donnie responded quietly as well._ _

_ _"Leo, where are you?"_ _

_ _"I… don't know…" Leo whimpered. "When I was going to take Jerry home, someone hit me with a rock or something, and now I'm in some sort of cage."_ _

_ _"Is Jerry with you?" Donnie asked quietly._ _

_ _"No…" Leo whimpered, sounding as if he were on the verge of tears. "He's working with the guys who kidnapped me."_ _

_ _Donnie held back a screech of fury, taking a deep breath before speaking._ _

_ _"What kind of cage is it?" Donnie asked. "Password, or standard lock?"_ _

_ _"I'll check." Leo whispered. A brief sound of metal on metal was heard, and Leo huffed. "Password."_ _

_ _"Numbers or letters?"_ _

_ _"Numbers…"_ _

_ _"Alright, typically with these types of locks, the password contains a grouping of prime numbers." Donnie whispered. "Try all ones."_ _

_ _Leo obeyed, whining as the attempt failed._ _

_ _"Try all threes."_ _

_ _That didn't work either._ _

_ _"Oh! Try four, seven, three, two."_ _

_ _It worked._ _

_ _"It's open! But I can't leave right now. There are guys really close." Leo announced._ _

_ _"Did they take your sword?" Donnie asked. A soft and fearful 'yeah' made Donnie curse. "Hold on, the phone tracker! I can trace your location with the tracker!"_ _

_ _"Well hurry! I don't know what they're gonna do!" Leo whined, gasping as a gruff voice called his name. "It's a goon! They're coming back! Hurry!"_ _

_ _Donnie huffed, hanging up and pulling up his tracker on his wristband. A quick glance led Donnie to pause, and he went blank faced._ _

_ _"Every year, I lose two whole brain cells because of them." Donnie sighed, standing and traveling to his destination. Once there, Donnie crossed his arms, waiting impatiently for the door on the side of a large building to open. When it did, Donnie sneered._ _

_ _"Ta-da!" Leo shouted, a large, kiddish smile on his face. "I got you."_ _

_ _No amusement could be found in Donnie's features._ _

_ _"Aww, come on! It was a joke!" Leo chimed._ _

_ _"I thought. You were about. To die." Donnie hissed._ _

_ _"And you were willing to risk your own life to save me." Leo chuckled. "Just like with every Twin-venture we've had._ _

_ _"Two. Whole. Brain cells." Donnie scoffed. Leo hummed in questioning, giving a cute little head tilt to boot. "Nevermind…"_ _

_ _"Successful Twin-venture?" Leo asked._ _

_ _"Is Jerry back home?" Donnie replied. Leo nodded. "Okay, fine… successful Twin-venture."_ _

_ _"YEAH! Let's up the stakes next year!"_ _

_ _"If it's anything like this, I'm gonna let you pretend die."_ _

_ _"Uh… YEAH! Let's lower the stakes next year!"_ _

_ _"That's my little twin."_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Jerry.


	23. To Those Who Wait (*)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donatello's wait is finally over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A sequel/conclusion to "A Sense of Insecurity"

"Oh Usagi, you're the most perfect Yokai in the world~"

"Why, thank you Leo-san. I appreciate the compliment. But… do you really think it's appropriate for us to kiss so fervently every five minutes?"

"Incredibly appropriate. Now kiss me again."

Usagi hummed in questioning, but did as told, smirking at the loud purr Leo let out. Such a sound grabbed the attention of everyone in the lair, leaving them to be concerned about the situation. Of course, no one was more concerned than Donnie, and it took everything in him to keep from smashing Usagi's head in.

"Leo, breathe." Raph muttered, rolling his eyes as Leo whined upon doing so.

"If I could hold my breath longer, I would kiss you until the day's end." Leo hummed, wrapping his arms around Usagi's neck. "Speaking of which… I've been meaning to ask you a serious question for a while."

"That being?" Usagi inquired.

"Well… we've been together for quite a while-"

"You've only been kissing buddies for two weeks." Mikey pointed out.

"Shut up Mikey!" Leo shouted. "Now, back to the important question… we've been together for a while, and I feel like we've grown to know a lot about each other."

"I would agree." Usagi chimed.

"So… because of that… I was wondering…" Leo paused a light blush appearing as he took a deep breath. "Would you… would you at least consider… being my Mate For Life?"

A loud, collective scream from his brothers was what Leo was met with. While this scream happened, Usagi's ears fell, and he awkwardly looked to the ground, gently urging Leo away.

"Leonardo-san, while I do appreciate the kind and loving gesture… I must say no." Usagi sighed. "I am not ready for such a commitment, and I am afraid that I may not ever be."

"What? But, what about-"

"Listen, I am not trying to hurt you, but look at this realistically. It would never work. For the past two weeks, as your younger brother has mentioned, the only bonding between us has consisted of nothing more than kisses and physical affection."

"That's what couples do!" Leo shouted, holding back the tears that threatened to spill at some inevitable point.

"At a reasonable pace." Usagi reminded. "It seems as if I am nothing more than an attractive buffer for you. Something I must refuse to tolerate."

Leo's blush grew, and he backed away from Usagi, looking to the floor. A sympathetic sigh came from Usagi, and he hugged Leo gently.

"My apologies, Leo-san. I wish that there was a better way to end this." Usagi sighed.

"Yeah, sure you do." Leo scoffed, pushing Usagi away.

"Leo-"

"Just go." Leo whimpered. "I don't want to talk anymore…"

Usagi frowned, standing still before wishing Leo luck. A loud boom signified that Usagi had left, and Leo finally allowed himself to cry, turning to face his brothers.

"Donnie…" Leo cried, sniffling and sobbing as he was squeezed in a protective brotherly hug. "You were right… I should never have fallen for him…"

"Shh… it's alright Ritorutsuinburazā. I'm here." Donnie whispered. "I'm here."

"Don… it hurts…" Leo whimpered, hiding his face from view. "I don't ever want to date again."

"I don't blame you." Donnie sighed, rubbing Leo's carapace soothingly. A second passed before Donnie tilted Leo's head up. "How would you like me to end him?"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"Usagi… where are you?"

Deep breaths were stifled as the Yokai hid in the shadows, sword ready to be used if needed. The ominous sound of claws clacking on the rocky terrain announced Donatello's whereabouts, and Usagi was forced to rely on his sensitive hearing in order to keep track of his safety.

That is, until the clacking stopped.

"Where did you go?" Usagi asked near silently, poking his head out to scan the area. A nearby bush shook and ruffled, urging Usagi to hold out his sword. "Reveal yourself!"

"Very well then." Donnie chuckled, the source of his voice nearly catching Usagi off guard. Loud hissing announced the start of a brutal fight, leaving both males with hideous injuries. A stop was brought at Usagi's harsh request, making sure both males were at a safe and reasonable distance from one another.

"Your injured shell, and my broken leg… are these not enough of a sign that we would both be killed if you hold this grudge?" Usagi asked. Donnie hissed, leaning against a tree and groaning with every step. "I understand that you wish to avenge your brother, but would it be worth it if you were killed in the process?"

"If I were to die, it would be with the honor of knowing my brother would no longer face the pain of knowing you are alive." Donnie huffed, eyes slamming shut in pain.

"Yet it would be replaced with the pain of knowing he was the reason you were dead." Usagi stated. "Please, I do not wish to hurt him more than he is now."

Donnie groaned, thinking over his options before taking a deep breath. "Very well. We may spare each other."

"A wise choice." Usagi praised. "Valuing life over vengeance is a respectable decision."

"I am not doing this for either of us." Donnie scoffed. "I am doing this for my twin. His happiness is all that I wish to keep."

Usagi nodded, sheathing his sword as a sign of peace. Donnie gave a pained breath, turning and limping away. A look of guilt was plastered onto Usagi's face, yet he decided to say nothing more on the matter.

Donatello's love for his brother was a respectful trait, one that far surpassed any Usagi had seen in years.

An incredibly deadly fact indeed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translation:
> 
> Ritorutsuinburazā - Little Twin Brother


	24. Come With Me (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes, it's difficult to think about the bad things around those you love.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Request By Alexa:
> 
> What if Draxum tries get Donnie to join his side (because he is so smart and Draxum believes he could give Don the life he deserves yada yada.)

Two days.

That's how long Donatello had to contemplate on his future. After their most recent encounter with a weakened Baron Draxum, the brothers had been split up in some kind of maze. Whilst they were trapped, each brother was communicated with individually, having been subject to Draxum's attempts to lure them into a life of evil.

Of course, Raph and Mikey were quick to say no, claiming that family overpowered being feared for no apparent reason. Leo was hesitant at first, as he was shown apparitions of his deepest fears, briefly being fooled into believing that his family truly didn't need him. The only thing that convinced him otherwise was an apparition of Mikey accusing Leo of being useless.

Because the young teen was always saying the exact opposite every day.

When it came to Donnie, however, the Softshell was at a crossroads. Draxum had promised respect and admiration, the feeling of being appreciated, of being needed. This seemed enticing, and Donnie was ashamed to admit that the thought crossed his mind to join Draxum.

Proof that the mind works differently in different scenarios. Had he been with his brothers, Donnie wouldn't let Draxum get past the first syllable. A reluctant and unexpected deal had been made between the two as a result, and Donnie now cringed every time he thought about it.

The deal stated that Donnie would join Draxum, and his family would be spared. Knowing Draxum, however, Donnie knew that something was going to go awry. If he did join, Donnie would never forgive himself if his family were harmed. If he didn't join, Donnie would have to watch his family perish before he himself was killed.

"What have I done to myself?" Donnie whispered, sitting in the kitchen at 11:52. A few minutes later, and Donnie would only have one day left.

And the glass of vodka he was nursing didn't necessarily ease any of his emotional pain.

"Why are you up so late?"

Donnie jumped, turning so fast that he swore on his life that he felt his neck nearly break.

"Leo?" Donnie muttered, giving a look of interest as the Slider drew closer. "Well, I should be asking the same thing."

"I… uh…" Leo replied, sighing heavily as he was unable to come up with even a fib. "I come down here and drink some of dad's vodka when I have nightmares."

"Leo!"

"Only sometimes, though!" Leo promised. "Any other time I just read a book until I fall asleep."

"That's still not healthy." Donnie scolded.

"Says the one drinking right now." Leo scoffed. Donnie emulated the sound, allowing Leo to sit down next to him. "It helps. I know it does."

"But in the wrong way." Donnie agreed, pushing his glass away from them both. "What got you started?"

"My nightmares got really bad at one point, so I came down here to get some water. I opened the refrigerator, for whatever reason, and saw dad's bottle. I drank at least half of the bottle… and then passed out." Leo muttered.

"Huh. That explains why you were sleeping on the kitchen floor." Donnie quipped, smiling fondly as he received a playful punch to the arm.

"What got you into it?" Leo inquired.

"In all honesty, this is my first time drinking the stuff." Donnie admitted. "It's absolutely disgusting, but I drink it for the buzz."

"Does that make us bad?" Leo asked, giving Donnie the most innocent look he'd ever seen on the Slider's face.

"Well… I want to say no…" Donnie hummed.

"Are we gonna go to jail if we get caught?"

"I wouldn't think so." Donnie chuckled. "Father would probably just threaten to spank us."

"That's silly." Leo remarked, leaning against his brother.

"Leon-"

"Just for tonight?" Leo pleaded. Donnie sighed, giving no answer. Taking it as a silent confirmation, Leo grabbed Donnie's arm, wrapping it around himself, and snuggling closer to his twin. "G'night."

Donnie hummed, looking around before purring. "Goodnight, my twin."

12:00 a.m.

One day left.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This will be split into two parts, because I want to make it more h*ccin dramatic.


	25. Unexpected Intellect (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A few new things are learned about Leo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is set in the Human Au. So the boys are in school. :3

"Now, boys, I don't want you to feel too afraid of being Freshmen. I understand that the first semester in High School is strange, and that you are just starting to make new friends, so today we are just going to…"

Leo sighed, flipping his hair before continuing his doodling. The teacher's rambling had quickly been tuned out after her introduction, and Leo had made it very clear that he gave less of a shit about being a good student. Besides, High School was like a roller coaster! Make bad grades first semester of freshman year, pick them up next semester. Keep the good grades during sophomore year in order to keep a beautifully high GPA, and slightly slack off during junior and senior year.

Something Leo was perfectly capable of doing.

Despite what he was always told.

"And so, in order to find out more about each other, I want you all to- Leonardo! Have you been paying attention to a thing I've said?"

"No. Not a single thing was heard." Leo replied bluntly. His classmates snickered.

"Leonardo-"

"Hey, if it wouldn't be too much trouble, think you could call me Leo? That'd really help me not feel like the Prep Boy you're trying to turn me into."

A disgusted scoff came from the teacher, and she crossed her arms. Leo shrugged, returning his attention to the piece of paper in front of him. Another student hummed, looking over Leo's shoulder and frowning.

"Ms. Abram? Were we supposed to know how to work through the Fibonacci Sequence before High School?" the student inquired. Leo blushed lightly, leaning over the piece of paper.

"No, it was not required, Anderson. Why do you ask?" Ms. Abram responded.

"Because Leo's doing the whole thing on this paper." Anderson chimed.

"Oh." Ms. Abram muttered. "He is?"

"No-"

"Yes!"

"No, I'm not! Shut up Anderson!" Leo shouted, punching Anderson with enough force to knock the boy to the ground. "That's for being a snitch!"

"Leonardo! Why are you exhibiting such violent behavior?!" Ms. Abram asked in terror, rushing over to help Anderson stand up. "Are you alright?"

"I smell the color purple!" Anderson happily shouted. Leo paled as much as his body could allow.

"Oh no…"

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"In all my years of teaching, I have never heard of a child being so violent, yet so intelligent at the same time! It seems so unusual!"

"Ms. Abram, with all due respect, I must ask: We're talking about my twin brother… correct?"

A nod led Donnie to raise a brow, sitting back in his chair in confusion. Never before had Leo shown as much intellectual skill at home as he supposedly had in school. Things just didn't seem to be adding up!

"I find all of this difficult to believe, Ms. Abram." Donnie muttered. "Leon isn't really one who… well…"

"Very well. If you wish to have proof, I will offer some." Ms. Abram offered. "Leonardo? Could you come here? Bring your paper as well!"

"What if I don't want to?" Leo asked, propping his feet on a desk. "I don't see you bossing my dad aro-"

"Get your feet off that desk." Donnie ordered through clenched teeth.

"Yes, Donnie." Leo whimpered, placing his feet flat on the floor with a guilt ridden frown.

"Do as Ms. Abram says. While in her supervision, she is your superior, and I expect you to treat her as such." Donnie stated.

"Yes, Donnie." Leo replied softly, glancing up at Ms. Abram briefly. "My apologies for acting in such a disrespectful manner."

A shocked look was on Ms. Abram's face, and she looked to Splinter in shock.

"Donatello has his brother trained well, does he not?" Splinter chuckled. "Mayhaps you should have Leonardo skip a grade to be with his brother for constant supervision."

"What?! Dad-"

"That's a great idea!" Ms. Abram interrupted, reaching a hand out and grabbing one of Splinter's. "We will have him take a standardized test early tomorrow morning, his test results will be calculated during the school day, and his information should be in by, say… Friday!"

"No! That's three days from now!" Leo whined, tugging on Donnie's arms. "Don, please don't make me take the test! I don't wanna be a sophomore right now!"

"If it has the possibility of keeping you out of trouble, I'll risk every tantrum you throw." Donnie hummed. "Have him take the test."

"No! Don't make me take it! I don't wanna take it!" Leo shouted, continuing to complain, even as he was carried to the family car. "This isn't fair! It violates my rights! I've had no say in my own personal endeavors, and I demand to do so!"

"Leo, just come to terms. You're going to take that test." Donnie sighed, grunting as Leo leant against him abruptly. Knowing very well what was about to happen, Donnie kept his eyes straight as Splinter drove. "Cut it with the puppy eyes."

"But I don't wanna go!" Leo whined, patting Donnie's face childishly. "You're getting a beard."

"Keep talking about my stubble, and I'll make them put you in chess club as well." Donnie threatened.

"You're a cheater." Leo huffed, hugging Donnie's arm despite his pettiness. "A buff cheater."

"No, I will not stop drinking all of the chocolate milk." Donnie chuckled, silently snickering as Leo twirled the genius's hair. "You need a nap."

"It's the middle of the day!" Leo replied sharply.

"That meeting lasted eight unnecessary hours. The beginning portion being composed of your teacher admiring my intellect."

"Oh. Then what time is it?"

"It is… 9:34."

"Hah! Like that'll-" Leo's scoff was cut off by a loud snore, and Donnie had to hold back a loud laugh. Splinter smirked, shaking his head fondly.

"He is like a never growing toddler." Splinter hummed.

"That might as well be what he is." Donnie agreed.

"Yet we love him and keep him either way." Splinter chimed.

"That we do, father." Donnie hummed happily, patting Leo's hair down. "That we do."


	26. Our Fault (*)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> An accident in battle leads the twins to an awkward situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from Rekauwu:
> 
> I was wondering if you could make a story about the twins not agreeing to make a plan and that is why Donnie ends up hurt (in his shell if possible, he gives me life haha) and Leo is blamed for what happened, but at In the end they both talk that it was their fault and they end up apologizing to each other.

"Leo, we need to formulate a plan that will guarantee our utmost success! That's the only way we'll be able to-"

"Pfft! Screw that! Let's just jump in!"

"Leo! No!"

Loud laughter followed Leonardo's daring jump from the safety of the twins' hidden fortress. Seconds later, Donnie was following his twin brother, a large grimace on his face as he ran with Leo into enemy territory. A shit-eating grin was on Leo's face, and he unsheathed his sword, creating a portal, and leaping through it.

"Leo! Stop! We need to plan ahead!" Donnie shouted, jumping in after the Slider.

"I am planning ahead! I'm making the plan as I go along!" Leo replied.

"That's called improvising! You IDIOT!" Donnie groaned. Leo snickered, taking a hold of Donnie's wrist, and tipping the Softshell off balance, leading Donnie to fall face down once on the other side of the portal.

Ugh! The nerve of that guy!

"Oh, stop being so uptight Don! What's the worst that could happen?" Leo asked, paling as the two were suddenly surrounded by snarling dogs. "Okay… but… they're just dogs! It's not like we can't handle 'em!"

Moments later, a group of Yokai thugs joined the dogs, and Donnie glared at Leo. A nervous chuckle escaped Leo, and he whistled as Donnie stood.

"We'll finish this discussion at home." Donnie hissed, grabbing his Tech Bo and preparing it for battle. A tense silence lasted for only two seconds, and a battle followed immediately after. At first, everything seemed under control, but that broke once a dog bit into Donnie's leg, bringing the Softshell down. A curse was followed by terrified screams as more dogs crowded around Donnie, biting and tearing at every beeping, whirring, and blinking object he harbored.

Including his battle shell.

"HELP! SOMEONE HELP ME!" Donnie screamed. Leo turned abruptly, eyes widening as he realized how much of a serious situation he'd gotten the two into. This feeling inflated upon sight of the dogs somehow managing to tear Donnie's battle shell off. Agonizing seconds passed before Leo snapped out of his shock, racing forward, knocking the dogs away, and creating a portal to send the twins to safety.

"Donnie! Are you okay?!" Leo asked once the two had- safely -landed.

"Am I okay?! Those mutts destroyed my battle shell! If you had stopped being so smug, we wouldn't be in this mess!" Donnie shouted, standing and groaning in pain before falling to the ground. "Just… how bad is the damage?"

Leo frowned, looking at Donnie's shell. Effective immediately, guilt washed over Leo as he noticed the true damage. Along Donnie's natural shell were multiple claw marks. Though they were not deep, Donnie's shell was still bleeding, and Leo knew enough about turtles in general to understand that a bleeding shell of any kind was dangerous.

"Okay, don't freak out, but-"

"Don't sugarcoat it, asshole." Donnie growled. "I'm bleeding, aren't I?"

Leo nodded, cringing as Donnie sat up shakily. A somewhat weak glare was all Leo needed to create one last portal, sending the two home. Once Raph and Mikey learned about the situation, Leo was turned into the uncaring jerk of the family. Even after trying to explain his side of the story, no one changed their views.

The only thing everyone else was focused on was Donnie's injuries.

Because of this, Leo cooped himself up in his room for the rest of the day. Even after Donnie had been mended up and pampered to the point of content, Leo was too afraid to talk to any of his brothers.

"They all hate you…" Leo whispered to himself, having climbed under his bed to block out his brothers' voices. "This is your fault! They'll never forgive you! You don't deserve forgiveness!"

This process of intense self depreciation was soon followed by Leo falling asleep, completely oblivious to the fact that he had skipped every meal that day. A fact that worried his brothers greatly.

"Do you think we were too harsh on him?" Mikey asked during dinner. "He hasn't come out of his room since you two got home."

"Well… I guess I _did_ go a bit overboard with the names…" Raph muttered, rubbing the back of his neck sadly. "But, I was just so scared! I didn't know if Donnie was-"__

_ _"Going to make it." Donnie finished, sighing as he rested his chin against the kitchen table. "Yeah… I guess I was a bit harsh too…"_ _

_ _"What are we gonna do?" Mikey asked._ _

_ _"I'm going to go apologize for all of us." Donnie replied, sitting up and slamming a hand down on the table assertively. "I was the first one to upset him in such a way."_ _

_ _"Do you think that'll work?" Raph asked as Donnie stood._ _

_ _"Absolutely." Donnie affirmed, taking a deep breath before walking up to Leo's room. Once there, Donnie looked around, raising a brow at the lack of Leo's obvious presence. Of course, this didn't stop an idea from coming to Donnie's mind. "What rhymes with Marco?"_ _

_ _"Polo…"_ _

_ _Donnie smiled fondly, crawling onto the floor and sighing as he was met with his twin's sad face. A hand reached out, and Leo sniffled, backing away._ _

_ _"Hey, it's okay." Donnie assured. "I'm not mad anymore."_ _

_ _"You're not?" Leo asked, wiping his eyes._ _

_ _"Not one bit." Donnie hummed. "You were excited, and thought we could handle it. I can't blame you for that."_ _

_ _"But… your shell-"_ _

_ _"Is perfectly fine." Donnie chuckled. "I'm not going to die because of it."_ _

_ _Leo sniffled once more, waiting and thinking before scooting towards Donnie, grabbing Donnie's hand, and wriggling out from under the bed. A look of sorrow was sent to Donnie, but the Softshell gave one of rare sympathy in return._ _

_ _"You're my twin brother. The only one I'll ever have. There's no point in staying mad at you forever, especially because of a mistake." Donnie stated soothingly, sitting the two on Leo's bed._ _

_ _"But I still should have listened to you! If I hadn't rushed in like that…" Leo trailed off, leading Donnie to sigh._ _

_ _"Leo, you don't need to be so hard on yourself." Donnie huffed. "If anything, I played a part in this for myself."_ _

_ _"What? How was any of this your fault?" Leo asked._ _

_ _"If I had just trusted you and your… interesting… improvisation, things wouldn't have gotten so out of hand." Donnie mused, subconsciously rubbing Leo's arm._ _

_ _"But my improv is what got you hurt!" Leo shouted. "This whole thing is my fault."_ _

_ _"I hope you realize that I am not going to play this game with you." Donnie muttered, smiling at Leo's giggling. It was after that, however, when Leo returned the topic to its once awkward nature._ _

_ _"Are Raph and Mikey still mad?" Leo asked, laying his head on Donnie's shoulder._ _

_ _"No." Donnie replied. "More worried than anything."_ _

_ _"Worried? Why are they-"_ _

_ _"You haven't eaten all day." Donnie droned. Leo gave an understanding hum, shifting and turning so that he was nuzzling against Donnie's cheek. "Want a slice of pizza?"_ _

_ _"I'm not hungry." Leo sighed. His statement was proven false, however, when his stomach growled louder than it ever had. "Uh… that was… a pig."_ _

_ _"Sure." Donnie chuckled, urging Leo to move away. "Come on. Let's get you fed and cuddled."_ _

_ _"And forgiven?" Leo asked hopefully._ _

_ _"You were forgiven hours ago, Leo." Donnie reminded._ _

_ _"Because… you love me?" Leo tried, smiling as he was nudged playful._ _

_ _"Yeah." Donnie hummed. "Because I love you."_ _


	27. A Short Routine (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little look into what it's like to deal with a sleepy baby Leo.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Set in a universe in which Leo accidentally turns himself into a baby.

"Leo! Leo, get down from there! No! Don't eat that! Raph! Make sure he doesn't eat that soap!"

Donnie's dramatic cry was all it took to make Splinter snicker, and the old rat hobbled forward, using his tail to gently knock over a shelf. From that shelf, came a human baby sized Red-Eared Slider hatchling. Happy giggling soothed Donnie's pacing heart, and the Softshell gladly retrieved baby Leo.

"Just as energetic as he was before the serum." Raph chuckled, scratching Leo's chin.

"Waphie! Waphie! Me do scary for 'onnie!" Leo cheered, gripping Raph's hand with a surprising amount of pressure.

"Yeah you did!" Raph agreed, beginning to pull his hand back, and grunting as he started to bring Leo with him. "Uh… Leo? You can, uh… you can let go now."

"No go! No go! Waphie let me go whee!" Leo cheered. "He swing! He swing!"

"Bubba, don't you make me nip you." Donnie scolded, nudging his beak against Leo's cheek. "Let go."

"But 'onnie!" Leo whined, pouting at the scolding nip he received. "Leo no like 'onnie nips!"

"Then listen." Donnie advised, huffing as his snout was grasped by one hand. "Bubba-"

"Me make 'onnie no happy." Leo huffed, using his other hand to wrap around Donnie's long neck. "Me make 'onnie… play! Money bar! Money bar!"

"Bubba, my neck is not a playset." Donnie sighed.

"Money bar?" Leo asked.

"No. Me no money bar either." Donnie added, cradling Leo as the baby settled down. "Is Bubba sad?"

"Berry." Leo muttered, crossing his arms. "Berry sad-anger."

"Well, I know what can get rid of your sad-anger." Donnie chimed. Leo tilted his head in interest. "Tummy Farts!"

Leo squealed, laughing cheerfully and waving his arms around as Donnie blew raspberries on his tiny plastron. Raph and Splinter joined in Leo's laughter, and they crowded around Donnie with large smiles.

"Me happy! Me happy!" Leo shouted, squeezing Donnie's snout. "No more Belly Toots!"

"Whatever you say, Bubba." Donnie replied, smiling as Leo yawned. "Ready to go to Crib Town?"

Leo nodded, rubbing his eyes. "Me want Choco-Milk-enade."

Raph and Splinter looked to Donnie in confusion.

"He wants some baby formula with chocolate syrup mixed in." Donnie explained. Raph and Splinter hummed in understanding. No time needed to pass as Donnie traveled into the kitchen, fixing Leo's formula, making sure the hatchling could hold it independently, and returning Leo to his crib.

"Is… is time for night-night?" Leo yawned.

"Yep. Time for night-night." Donnie confirmed, purring as he sat and waited for Leo to fall asleep. "Sweet dreams, Bubba. I'll find some way to make you normal again."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Before you ask, yes, I am still working on the requests. This was just on my mind and I needed to get it posted.


	28. Oh Boy... (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Some weird stuff happens when Leo catches the Rat Flu one day.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from SnowbellaAndFriends:
> 
> Basically I’d like to see a chapter where one of them is struck with the flu and finds themselves in a bad situation while on Stage 7, and they have to be pulled out of it by their brother.

"So… he won't be able to say no to anything, eh?"

Mischievous smiling was followed by a slew of bubbles, and Piebald rubbed her hands together. This was yet another moment for her to get back at her brothers for flushing her! Granted, the mutant fish understood that the flushing was an accident, but it was still pretty traumatic. By this point, there were plenty of ways to make the boys suffer.

"But this is the ultimate one…" Piebald whispered ominously, taking on her camouflage before moving into the lair. A quick surveillance glance was performed, and Piebald hummed as she realized that three of the four of her brothers were gone.

Except for the one that she was ready to deal with.

"Brothers? Where are you?" Leo asked, pacing around in his contained room. A disturbing tone was taken as Leo spoke once more. "Wheeeeeerrrrreeee aaaarrrrrreeeee yoooooouuuu?"

Piebald shuddered, revealing herself and looking into Leo's eyes. The way they were dilated- mixed in with the interesting way Leo had temporarily been running his body along the plastic -informed Piebald that he was in the turtles'- unfortunately -modified version of Stage 3.

"Piebald? How nice to see you! Would you mind letting me out? It's awfully cramped in here!" Leo announced, dark blue eyes seemingly shining. "I would very much appreciate it!"

"Sorry buddy, but this isn't the stage I'm interested in." Piebald chuckled, sitting in front of the Slider. "I'll just be sitting here until Stage 7."

"Well, that sucks." Leo hummed.

"And why is that?" Piebald asked. Leo said nothing, growling as he flashed his claws. Out of instinct, Piebald stood, waiting for Leo to- undoubtedly -tear his way out of his confines.

Moments later, the lights switched off, and Piebald scoffed, taking on her camouflage immediately after. By now, things had become a dangerous version of Hide-and-Seek, and was going to be carried out until Stage 5.

"Never gonna give you up! Never gonna let you down! Never gonna turn around and desert you!"

Huh. That was fast.

"He _would_ Rick Roll me." Piebald muttered, staying camouflaged, even through Stage 6, which was exceptionally funny.__

_ _Especially considering how Leo was not only writing down his Fanfic, but also reading it aloud._ _

_ _"Just a little bit longer…" Piebald whispered, cheering as Leo suddenly plopped down. It was then when Piebald made herself visible, approaching Leo with a large smile. "Leonardo… I want you to-"_ _

_ _"PIEBALD! NO!" Raph screamed, racing forward to stop the fish. Donnie and Mikey followed, both terrified of what could happen._ _

_ _"Oh calm down! It's not like I'm gonna tell Leo to go jump into the middle of downtown Manhattan and tell everyone about the mutant and Yokai race!" Piebald replied, pausing before turning and facepalming as she was met with an empty spot. "Ah, shit."_ _

_ _~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~_ _

_ _"Gonna go and tell the people how nice we are! Gonna love us and give us hugs and cookies!"_ _

_ _"LEO! STOP RIGHT THERE!"_ _

_ _"Huh?"_ _

_ _A collective grunt was made as Leo was tackled by his brothers and sister, and the blue clad teen whined in frustration._ _

_ _"Leo, I understand why you're doing this, but you have to fight it!" Raph growled, groaning as Leo hissed. "Donnie! Control him!"_ _

_ _"Why do I have to-"_ _

_ _"DO IT NOW!"_ _

_ _"Okay! Okay!" Donnie yelped, looking Leo straight in the eye and sighing. "Ritorutsuinburazā, I need you to keep your eyes on me, okay?"_ _

_ _Leo whimpered, squirming around until he felt Donnie's hand on his cheek._ _

_ _"Please." Donnie whispered._ _

_ _Leo blinked._ _

_ _Once._ _

_ _Twice._ _

_ _A third time._ _

_ _"I… okay." Leo replied quietly, smiling and chirping as he was hugged tightly. "Whoa… I was out of it… right?"_ _

_ _"Oh, more than out of it." Donnie chuckled. "Good to have you back, nonetheless."_ _

_ _"Aww! Thank you Biggutsuinburazā!" Leo cheered, bumping foreheads with Donnie lightly. After doing so, Leo then realized something unsettling. "Wait… even though I was at Stage 7, I never completed my task…"_ _

_ _"So?" Piebald asked._ _

_ _"That means that he's still sick…" Donnie whimpered._ _

_ _"And because we've come into contact with you…" Mikey added in horror._ _

_ _"It means…" Raph gasped. An intense silence rang throughout the group, and hearts pounded for mere seconds._ _

_ _Before Raph, Donnie, and Mikey sneezed aggressively. When nothing happened to Piebald, she laughed mockingly._ _

_ _"I'M IMMUNE!" Piebald shouted. "Time to dick around three more times!"_ _

_ _"This is my fault." Leo sighed, frowning as he was angrily glared at. "Yeah… my fault entirely…"_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I like to headcanon that Piebald refers to the turtles as her brothers, and that the turtles refer to her as their sister.
> 
> ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
> 
> Translations:
> 
> Ritorutsuinburazā - Little Twin Brother
> 
> Biggutsuinburazā - Big Twin Brother


	29. Leonardo and the Three Dragons (**)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's painful, learning things the hard way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Request/Suggestion from Alexa:
> 
> What about Leo meeting the Purple Dragons?

"Y'know, I have to admit… Donnie was right to be afraid of you guys…"

Three dangerous smirks were produced by Leo's weak statement, and the trio snickered darkly. In an attempt to alleviate his own pain and fear, Leo chuckled with them, shifting slightly, despite the searing pain caused by his fractured ribs. Accompanying the pain was the blood dripping from the sides of Leo's mouth, and he would have wiped it away, had it not been for the shackles holding his hands up against a wall.

"Such a pathetic display." Kendra scoffed, crossing her arms. "And I thought you were supposed to be the brave and nonchalant one."

"Who says I'm not being nonchalant right now?" Leo asked smugly.

"This." Jeremy replied, giving no warning as he slammed a heated branding iron against Leo's leg.

"SON OF AN EVER LOVING BITCH!" Leo screamed, trying his damndest to escape the burn. "ALRIGHT! ALRIGHT! THIS HURTS LIKE A MOTHERFUCKER! IS THAT WHAT YOU WANT?!"

"Precisely." Kendra hummed, tapping Jeremy's shoulder. No words were exchanged as Jeremy removed the branding iron, leaving behind a mark in the shape of the Purple Dragons logo. "Jace, patch up the reptile."

"Hey, aren't we on a first name basis here? The least you could do is call me by my species." Leo quipped, not even trying to hide the tears streaming down his face. "It would really make me feel a bit more- MOTHERFUCKER!"

The trio cackled, and Jace continued to rub Leo's wound with alcohol.

"That's right. Keep screaming. Keep crying." Kendra whispered, crouching down in front of Leo. "Give us a little squeak. Just for the hell of it."

Leo hissed, leaning forward as much as his body would let him, and biting at Kendra, snarling and growling as he did so. The Purple Dragons laughed, watching as Leo wiggled the strength out of himself. Loud panting and weak whimpers escaped Leo, and he hung his head low, whining and sobbing in pain.

"You were saying?" Jeremy hummed. Leo merely gave a soft cry, tucking his tail in fear. "Aww, what's wrong? Is our little pet scared?"

"…Yes…" Leo sobbed, flinching at the taunting laughs he earned. "I just want to go home…"

"I'm sure you do." Kendra muttered, rolling her eyes. "Jace, remove the shackles."

"Wait, but-"

"Boys, look at him." Kendra scoffed. "He's weak, he's injured, he's-"

"A scared animal."

The Purple Dragons looked around their hideout in surprise, wondering who had just spoken. The voice seemed familiar, and it took a while for the group to place the voice to a face. When they did, however, they were being chased away by who could now be easily considered as their arch-enemy.

"Don't be too confident Donnie! We'll destroy everything you love! Everything that gives you a will to live!" Kendra shouted. "And next time, we'll find a better place to hide! Everything will be gone, starting with HIM!"

Donnie screeched, scaring the trio enough to run off. After they were gone, Donnie turned to his twin, crying unabashedly at the sight of his injured twin. Fury was what allowed for Donnie's uncharacteristic strength and persistence, but it faded as soon as Leo fell forward.

"It's okay Leo. You'll be okay." Donnie promised. "You're going to make it."

"Don… Cantaloupe… it hurts…" Leo whispered, leaning against his sobbing brother.

"I know." Donnie whimpered. "I know… you just need to rest… I'll take care of you."

"Don… I'm not going to wake up… am I?" Leo asked feebly. When Donnie didn't respond, Leo took hold of Donnie's hands. Without a word, Leo wrapped Donnie's hands around his neck. Taking the terrifying hint, Donnie slammed his eyes shut, allowing his loud crying to drown out the awful sound of forgiveness.

Screaming.

And then silence.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> :D


	30. Muff-Links (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo gets a new pet!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from Sydney (On Chapter 29):
> 
> I want a part two,with a whole lot of fluff and revenge.Or, just the twins finding a stray cat.
> 
> *I went the stray cat route. Y'all deserve some fluff.

"She's so cute! Look Don! Isn't she adorable?"

"Adorable is a relative term."

Leo huffed, crossing his arms with a pout. An unimpressed brow rise was given, and Leo huffed once more, throwing a hand out, and lowering it to the ground.

"Leo, don't do it." Donnie muttered, becoming concerned as Leo continued to lower his hand. "Leo…"

"I'm not hurting anyone." Leo hummed, lowering his hand a bit more before it was on the ground, palm up.

"Leo, I swear to the Pizza Supreme, if you make that sound, I will toss you off a roof." Donnie warned. Leo chuckled, looking down at a large cardboard box. "Leo, it's a stray. We shouldn't even be acknowledging it!"

"Uh, she has a name, Donnie." Leo scoffed, flexing his fingers in invitation. "Ksksksksksks."

"NO! I told you not to make the sound!" Donnie whined. His complaints grew even louder as a small Tuxedo Kitten limped out from the box, a scared look on her face. "And what could you possibly have named it?!"

"I named _her,_ Muff-Links!" Leo chimed proudly. The kitten mewed happily at the name, limping to Leo as fast as her legs could carry her.__

_ _"Muff-Links…? What kind of name is that???" Donnie asked incredulously, now pissed about two things. The first being that he was standing in the open with his twin, and the second being that they had now been gifted an injured kitten due to Leo's name attachment!_ _

_ _"It's a Bicolor name! She has a black-and-white coat, so she should get a grey name!" Leo replied. "Muff-Links is a cutoff between Muffins and Little Lincoln."_ _

_ _"That's… actually a really smart name." Donnie uttered in amazement, blinking before watching Leo pick Muff-Links and standing._ _

_ _"She's hurt." Leo announced. "I think her left front leg is broken."_ _

_ _"Leo-"_ _

_ _"Can we at least have April take Muff-Links to the vet and get a checkup?" Leo asked, holding Muff-Links close. "Please? I don't want her to stay in pain."_ _

_ _Donnie sighed, thinking over his options, and breaking at the sight of his younger twin beginning to tear up. Something Leo rarely ever did._ _

_ _"Alright, fine." Donnie groaned. "But while… Muff-Links… is recovering, I'm putting it up to you to learn about kitten care."_ _

_ _"Sir yes sir!" Leo shouted, saluting as a sign of his genuine and intended dedication._ _

_ _"Good. Now let's get Muff-Links to April." Donnie instructed, he and Leo making their way to their friend's apartment. "Oh, and by the way, you're going to be the one to explain to Splinter why you deserve to bring a cat into the lair."_ _

_ _"Goddamn it."_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The next chapter will have fluff too. Don't worry.


	31. Temporary Pain (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo helps heal Donnie after a battle.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Suggestion by CoupdeFruita:
> 
> Leo mending Donnie's wounds after a battle

"Two… three… four… now."

Donnie took in a sharp breath, huffing as he maneuvered his arm around to regain feeling. After an oddly aggressive battle between Repo and Ms. Nubbins, Donnie had been left with a dislocated shoulder, and a sprained ankle. Because of this, he had been put into his twin's care, a fact that terrified him into almost having a heart attack.

That feeling faded, however, once Leo showed a surprising amount of knowledge on how to deal with Donnie's specific injuries.

"How did you learn what to do?" Donnie asked, raising a brow as Leo rung out a hot towel, giving a glance of warning before placing it around Donnie's ankle.

"I noticed that our fights have been getting worse." Leo replied stoically. "By now we're almost always returning home with serious injuries. So the least I could do was learn how to help."

"The least you could do is nothing." Donnie pointed out, surprised by the fact that he didn't even earn a scoff. With this, Donnie hummed, swinging one leg subconsciously. The action was immediately stopped once Leo stilled his twin's leg.

"You're making it difficult to focus." Leo muttered, checking Donnie for more injuries. A poke to the knee made Donnie yelp, reeling back in pain. "Sorry…"

"It's fine…" Donnie replied, taking a deep breath before scooting up to Leo once more. "I think my-"

"Yep. That's a dislocated patella." Leo interrupted. "It isn't too obvious, but I guess it explains why your limp was much worse than it normally is after a sprained ankle."

"Wow. You are really observant." Donnie commented. "How do you even know the medical term for the kneecap?"

"I read one of your med books out of extreme boredom." Leo replied curtly, thinking over how to fix his brother's knee.

Because it was obvious that this thing hurt like a bitch.

"Huh. I don't know if I should be impressed or concerned." Donnie chuckled. "So, what's the P.O.A.? You gonna try and do surgery on me?"

"Oh, hell no!" Leo shouted, sending a look of shock to Donnie. "I'm not qualified in the least to perform a surgery!"

"Then what are you going to-"

"I'm gonna have dad take you to the hospital, dingus." Leo interrupted, standing and stretching. "I don't want to hurt you even more."

"Well, the sentiment is appreciated." Donnie chimed.

"You're welcome." Leo replied, crouching down and giving a smile. "Want a piggyback ride?"

"I don't have a choice, do I?" Donnie asked. When he received a head shake, Donnie rolled his eyes, leaning forward onto Leo's back.

"And away we go!" Leo shouted, shifting so that Donnie was comfortable before marching into the living room. "SPLINTER! We have a big ol' boo-boo! Donnie needs medical services!"

"Why am I not surprised?" Splinter asked. "Oh! I know! Because Raphael and Michelangelo need to go to the hospital as well."

Leo smiled, carrying Donnie to the car. Once the family was situated, the ride to the hospital started immediately. As usual, the doctors were incredibly disturbed by how beat up the brothers were, but decided not to question it.

"What about you, Leo? Did you get injured?" one of the nurses inquired.

"Nope! I'm all- GODDAMN IT!" Leo screamed, falling to the ground and gripping his side tightly. The medical team was immediately surrounding Leo, and a nurse removed his shirt, revealing a large gash in his side. "Huh, that's new."

"Get him in the quartet ward." the doctor instructed.

Seconds later, Leo joined his brothers in their designated room, giving a half-assed smile as his brothers frowned.

"At least it wasn't a heart attack." Leo quipped, grunting as Donnie punched him.

"Next time, tell us when you're hurt." Donnie huffed.

"Can do." Leo chuckled, poking Donnie's cheeks. "So, with that out of the way, blood loss has made me woozy."

Before he could fall, Donnie held Leo close, laying his twin down carefully. Without a worry, Donnie lie down next to Leo, waiting for the call for his surgery. Raph and Mikey joined the two, both awaiting their checkups.

"As stubborn as a mule." Raph commented, draping a hand over his eyes. Mikey chuckled lightly, hugging against Leo's sleeping form.

"Hey, don't be mean to him. He's my twin." Donnie huffed tiredly, swearing that the room had suddenly been filled with a type of sleeping gas. "Only I can… be mean."

"Alright. Whatevs." Raph chuckled. The group then fell into a deep sleep, not a care in the world.

Even after they awoke, not taking a second to return to their normal, hectic routine.

Completely healed or no.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *I hope you don't mind that I took a little off-road and used this scenario in the Human Au.


	32. Liar (*)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's difficult to care for a twin brother who doesn't like admitting when he's gotten himself into a dangerous situation.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request by TurtleLover:
> 
> if you don't mind me giving you a prompt request, could you make a story where one of them is hiding his injuries from their last battle by saying he's fine? of course it wasn't too obvious until he starts showing symptoms of the injury, it could be a concussion and whatnot, you decide!

"Leo, you took a really hard hit during that fight. Are you sure you're okay?"

"Oh yeah! I'm fine! Nothing bad going on here!"

Mikey gave an unconvinced hum, but decided not to press. This was Leo, after all, and the Slider was too stubborn to admit to being hurt without any obvious signs. Said injuries were bound to have been caused by Leo having been hit by Repo's truck. Granted, Leo had rebounded effective immediately, but that didn't stop Mikey from sneaking into Donnie's lab in worry.

"Dee? Can I talk to you about something serious?" Mikey asked quietly. Donnie nodded absentmindedly, waiting for Mikey to enter the lab before turning to face the small teen. "It's about Leo…"

"Ah. I see." Donnie muttered. "Did he swallow a bar of soap by "accident" again?"

"No…" Mikey replied, fiddling with his fingers. "It has something to do with a fight."

"With?" Donnie inquired.

"Repo." Mikey answered fearfully, being cautious as he was met with Donnie's sudden terror. "He uh… well… Leo got hit by Repo's truck."

"You're lying."

"I wish I was." Mikey sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. "It happened so fast, and Leo jumped back up without any sort of obvious pain. We continued fighting, and we walked home."

"He walked home after being hit by a car?!" Donnie screamed, racing out of the lab to find Leo.

It took two minutes for Donnie to find his twin, and he was shocked to find Leo nervously holding a bottle of unopened Tylenol. The Slider was shaking aggressively, and he gulped as he moved to try and open the bottle. Halfway through the motion, however, Leo sneered, throwing the bottle as far away from himself as possible.

"You're fine." Leo told himself, taking a deep, pained breath before pinching the bridge of his snout. "It's just a bit of pain. You've dealt with pain before. You'll be fine."

Donnie frowned, torn between rushing towards Leo to do a checkup, or leaving and believing Leo's words. The latter didn't seem too difficult to do, considering how Leo had stood up and started to stretch. Apart from a few groans and whimpers of pain, Leo seemed to be faring perfectly fine. So, Donnie chose option two.

A terrible idea.

Not even two hours later was Leo on the floor, wailing in pain as he lay on his plastron, squirming around and grimacing in what could only be described as- ironically -indescribable pain. From a distance, one would understandably be prone to believe that Leo was just messing around. At close range, however, the source of Leo's pain had become more obvious.

In the center of Leo's carapace was a huge crack, one that had- somehow -managed to go unnoticed and uncared for throughout an entire fight, plus two hours. Leo's crying drew in his family, and they surrounded him in horror, each of them doing everything possible to help calm Leo down long enough for Donnie to heal him.

"Leo, stay still! You're making it bleed more!" Raph shouted, unsure of whether or not he should hold Leo down. "Donnie-"

"Place one hand on the back of his neck!" Donnie ordered, waiting for Raph to do so before continuing. "Put your second hand on the end of Leo's carapace!"

Raph nodded, doing as told, and humming in brief surprise as Leo suddenly stopped squirming. Once the squirming stopped completely, Donnie studied the crack in Leo's carapace, cursing under his breath at the sight of the damage.

"Raph, stay with me. Mikey, go to April's. Dad, go find a stalk of celery." Donnie ordered. A short pause was given in response to Donnie's last instruction, but passed as Donnie hissed loudly. From there, Donnie retreated to his lab for a good minute, returning with a syringe and a medical table with multiple tools.

"Uh… what-"

"Shut up and let me work." Donnie instructed. "I need silence so I can focus… both on fixing Leo and using our telepathy to curse him out for scaring us."

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

"So… what did you need this celery for?"

Donnie said nothing as he snatched the celery away from Splinter, holding it over Leo's snout. For twelve exact seconds, Donnie held the celery still, snapping it in half after this time. As an almost immediate response, Leo coughed, sitting up and groaning in pain.

"I told you not to shoot up, idiot." Donnie huffed, not minding the fact that he was now being used as an upright bed.

"You got celery in my nose." Leo murmured, subconsciously reaching back to try and feel the crack in his carapace. "How bad is it?"

"You were writhing in pain for three minutes." Raph replied. Leo groaned, hiding his face in the crook of Donnie's neck.

"That's pretty bad, huh?" Leo joked weakly, not looking to see his family's reaction. "Sorry for not telling."

"Sorry won't cut it, Leon." Donnie huffed, hugging his brother despite his anger. "You could have been hurt so much worse."

"But… I wasn't." Leo chimed.

Donnie sighed heavily, tracing a claw along the long, mended crack that decorated Leo's carapace. The Slider flinched at the feeling, so Donnie stopped, resorting to petting Leo's head.

"You nearly gave me a heart attack." Donnie whispered. "Things could have gone so much worse…"

"Yeah. I know." Leo hummed, not necessarily feeling up to talking about the worst-case scenario. "But at least I'm still alive. Right?"

Donnie frowned, hugging Leo closer. There was no way that the Softshell could look over this like it was another normal injury. The damage had been too great, and the pain was obviously more than Leo was used to.

By this point, Donatello was unsure as to why he allowed himself to give in to this routine of physical affection. Never before had it solved anything in any way. The only thing it did was effectively manage to get Donnie to accept that he would never win these battles. Leo was always going to end up being hurt. So much so, that Donnie feared his twin brother was going to eventually end up in a situation so dire, that no one would be able to help.

Sadly, however, Donnie knew that Leo wasn't going to listen to this fact. At best, Leo would end up taking the thought into consideration before inevitably throwing the notion out of the window.

So, Donnie did the only thing he knew would work.

"Right…" he sighed, refusing to let Leo go.

This was all it took to make Leo's wall of confidence fall, and he clung to Donnie like a koala, muttering and whimpering about how sorry he was.

Just like he always did.

The poor, saddened liar.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So... this was a bit more "angsty" than what was intended, but I _really liked_ how this chapter turned out nonetheless. I hope you like it as well!__


	33. Doubting of One's Self (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo's got some things to work out.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A Request By Needo:
> 
> by any chance if you still doing requests, could you make a story about Leo hiding his insecurities and donnie finds out later on? i can't stop thinking about how Leo finds himself just a faceman in the group and him being nothing without his brothers

"Thank you for seeing me again. I was worried you schedule would be too full. Y'know because of the whole: Being April's Therapy Bear thing."

A soft shuffling noise was made as Leo shifted on his bed, pulling a string that was attached to the back of a small teddy bear. A short giggle was emitted before the bear talked.

"Hi! My name's Tony Rooster! What's your name?" the bear asked.

"Right. Identify yourself." Leo whispered. "My name's Leo. Well, actually, It's Leonardo, last name Hamato. Then again, my dad usually refers to us last-first when he's pissed. So would that make last-first be first-last?"

Leo pulled the string on Tony Rooster again.

"I like strawberries! What's your favorite vegetable?" Tony Rooster asked cheerily.

"Oh! Okay… a little unorthodox, but… who am I to question a professional?" Leo asked no one in particular. "Let's see… I like carrots. They're good for your eyesight! Isn't that cool?"

Another tug on Tony's string.

"I can say the whole alphabet! Will you sing with me?" Tony Rooster requested. Leo smiled, waiting for a tune to play before singing along. "ABCDEFG… HIJK-"

"Elemenopee!" Leo shouted, laughing boisterously at the instance. "That's my favorite part!"

Once Tony Rooster finished singing, Leo tugged the string again.

"Playing is fun! What's your favorite colour?" Tony Rooster asked.

"Those two things are… completely unrelated." Leo muttered. "But, I guess I should answer… I like the color blue."

Another tug.

"Tony Rooster has many friends! Tony Rooster loves his friends very much!" Tony shouted. "Can you name anyone you care about?"

"Of course! My brothers, my dad, April, Jupiter Jim- to an extent, -Lou Jitsu, Todd, FrankenFoot, Bullhop, Señor Hueso…" Leo trailed off, humming in thought. "That's all I can think of."

Another tug.

"Tony Rooster is afraid of the dark. Is there anything you're scared of?" Tony asked. Leo said nothing, tugging the string again. "Tony Rooster likes to put on talent shows! What's your talent?"

Another tug.

"Tony Rooster likes to learn new things to help him in life! What do you want to get better at?"

Another tug.

"Tony Rooster enjoys hearing happy words from friends and family! Can you name any happy words to describe yourself?"

Another tug.

"Tony Rooster has plenty of interests! Can you name one thing that you're good at-"

"NO!" Leo shouted, continuously tugging at Tony's string, wanting desperately to get away from what was supposed to be innocent inquiries. "ASK. ME. SOMETHING. ELSE!"

"Tony Rooster likes to play pretend- Tony Rooster likes to have family tea parties- Tony Rooster- Tony Rooster- Tony Rooster-"

"I DON'T CARE!" Leo screamed, making his tugging much more aggressive. "SAY. SOMETHING. THAT. ISN'T _STUPID!"___

_ _Tug._ _

_ _Tug._ _

_ _Tug._ _

_ _SNAP!_ _

_ _"Tony Rooster likes to… uh-oh… Tony Rooster doesn't feel too good…"_ _

_ _"You and me both." Leo huffed, tossing the bear onto the floor. Minutes passed before Leo finally came to terms with what he'd just done, and the reality of the situation was enough to draw tears out of him. "You and me both…"_ _

_ _"Leo?"_ _

_ _A soft gasp followed Donnie's question, and Leo wiped away any trace of tears that had fallen._ _

_ _"Yeah? What's up?" Leo asked, giving Donnie an impressively well kempt smile. An obvious attempt of trying to seem put together in Donnie's eyes._ _

_ _The poor thing._ _

_ _"What's wrong now?" Donnie asked, not a hint of annoyance in his tone._ _

_ _"I… don't know what you mean." Leo replied quickly, giving a small sniffle. "I was just… talking… to myself…"_ _

_ _"Tony Rooster likes naps…" the bear uttered, its voice worn down and garbled. "Tony Rooster…"_ _

_ _"To yourself, huh?" Donnie chuckled, walking up to Leo. "You wanna change your response?"_ _

_ _"No." Leo replied bluntly. "Final answer."_ _

_ _Donnie smiled, sitting next to Leo and wrapping an arm around the younger. The two then made eye contact, having a silent conversation before trilling in sync. The now audible conversation allowed Donatello to learn about what was bothering his twin, giving the Softshell a good idea of what to do._ _

_ _"You know, Leo, it's okay to be scared. Everyone gets that way at some point."_ _

_ _"I know." Leo replied, bringing his knees against his plastron._ _

_ _"It's okay to doubt yourself. Everyone does at some point."_ _

_ _"I know…"_ _

_ _"It's okay to question your role in life. Everyone does. At some point."_ _

_ _"Yeah…"_ _

_ _"It's okay to dry text." Donnie hummed. "But giving me constant "I Knows" and "Yeahs" won't help the situation."_ _

_ _"I… well, I…" Leo couldn't find the right words. Donnie picked up on this, rubbing Leo's arm soothingly. "I just don't like talking about stuff like this."_ _

_ _"You say that like everyone else does." Donnie chuckled, taking pride in the light punch on the chest he received._ _

_ _"You know what I mean." Leo huffed, wrapping his arms around his twin brother. "It's just… it's-"_ _

_ _"Scary." Donnie finished. Leo nodded, enjoying the silence that followed the conversation. Soon, however, the silence itself became scary in its own way, so Leo brought up another topic._ _

_ _"What's my role?" Leo asked, looking up at Donnie._ _

_ _"What do you-"_ _

_ _"My role." Leo huffed. "Like, you're the smart one, Mikey's the art guy, and Raph's the super strong protector. That doesn't really leave much for me to be."_ _

_ _"Well, I can't think of anyone else in this family who's as good at reading emotions as well as you are." Donnie complimented, earning a light blush. "It's like you have a knack for it. You know when we're hurt, when we're silently happy, when we're silently sad or angry, when we need comfort at any point."_ _

_ _"What would that even be considered?" Leo asked._ _

_ _"The Loving Observer." Donnie replied softly, moving Leo's mask tails so that they lay along Leo's carapace. "The one we can count on to get us through any hard times."_ _

_ _"Ew… so mushy." Leo playfully muttered, smiling as he was nuzzled against. "Mushy big twin."_ _

_ _"Sensitive little twin." Donnie whispered. Silence befell the two once more before they burst into laughter. "I think… I think we've mixed a few things up there!"_ _

_ _"Ya think?" Leo snickered, blowing at Donnie's snout. "Weird nerd."_ _

_ _"Somehow loveable jackass." Donnie responded, planting a kiss on Leo's head._ _

_ _That was better._ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tony Rooster was inspired by Teddy Ruxpin.


	34. Yellow Pickles and Old Milk (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It's about time Leo stood up and became the counselor for once.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from Rekauwu:
> 
> Hi!!! I adore how in every episode you do, donnie knows how to comfort Leo so well ... but what if it is the other way around? I say, I read consoles Donnie, like a sequel after the defibrillator (considering that Donnie was the closest to death and because she is very paranoid and nervous) and well I see curious how leo would console Donnie.

"Y'know, there are times when I wish I had eaten that yellow pickle. Just to see what it tasted like."

"It was most likely spoiled, Leon."

"Maybe. Or maybe it was some pickled spaghetti squash. We may never know."

Donnie scoffed, rolling his eyes as his twin rambled on about the dumbest of things. Such an inappropriate reaction to finding the Softshell freaking out on the ground! What made Leo think this was even the slightly smartest idea?!

"We may never know." Leo whispered, placing a hand on Donnie's head.

Ah, right. Twin telepathy.

"Leo, could you not? I'm going through a rough patch right now." Donnie sighed, scooting away from his brother.

"I know." Leo replied calmly. "You're feeling angry, underappreciated, unwanted. You feel as if no one could possibly relate, since you're the only genius, and you work so hard, just to be undermined."

Wow. That was spot on.

"Yeah. All of that." Donnie muttered, staying still as Leo grabbed his goggles. "What are you doing?"

"Appreciating you." Leo replied, putting on Donnie's goggles. "Ahem… the scientific formula of milk is something hydrogen to something milk-ogen. When mixed together, they make cheese, which is just an old form of yogurt."

"Leo… none of that is true." Donnie stated with a small smile. "Milk is composed of plenty of things. Water, proteins, fat, lactose, and minerals. Plenty of other things are in there too, but the items listed are what milk mainly contains."

"Well yogurt is still old cheese." Leo replied.

"And I presume you believe cheese is old milk?" Donnie inquired. Leo nodded, and Donnie left all of his- now forgotten -worries behind.

Whatever they were, they didn't matter anymore. Those worries were in the past, and Donnie had no need to focus on them for too long. They would only bring him down, and the genius didn't wish to have that happen.

Lest he need to explain to Leo once more that milk, cheese, and yogurt are not spoiled versions of each other.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I know that the request was for a sort of sequel, but I've been kinda backed up lately, so I took on the main part of the request for Leo to console Donnie. Hope you don't mind!


	35. Just In Time (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Donnie didn't care if his twin was just a minute late! Something was wrong, and Donatello was hellbent on finding out what it was.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from AkitaWolf:
> 
> Could you do a fic where Leon got into an accident in the sewer maybe (because he tends to fall a lot in the show) and that got his brothers worried? And Donnie being the closest to Leo (presumably) knows that it isn't like him to be late so he suggests that they go on a search to find Leo, hoping that he isn't too late

"What is taking him so long?"

"Hey, don't stress so much Donnie! I'm sure Leo's perfectly fine!"

"Yeah! Besides! It's two hours to curfew!"

"Which is when he always comes back!"

Raph and Mikey shared a look, having become surprised by Donnie's sudden worry. Very seldom did the Softshell show any form of intense emotion, no matter the situation. A good reason for his brothers to be confused to a brief extent. The sound of nervous whining shook Raph and Mikey out of their thoughts, and the duo frowned as they watched Donnie pace anxiously.

"Don…" Raph sighed, tail beginning to twitch slightly. A response to his brother's distress. "Alright, fine. We can go look for Leo."

Donnie smiled, taking no time to lead his eldest and youngest brothers into the depths of the sewers. Minutes of silence passed, being occasionally broken by the soft 'Drip, drip, dripping' of the sewer water. Rapid sniffing alerted Raph and Donnie that Mikey had caught the scent of something, and they followed their bloodhound of a baby brother into a strange crossroads of sewer tunnels.

"What is it?" Raph whispered.

"It's Leo." Donnie boldly responded, rushing blindly into one of the dark tunnels. Raph and Mikey followed after the Softshell quickly, trying desperately to keep from getting separated even more.

"Donnie! Slow down!" Raph shouted, throwing Mikey into a piggyback ride position before lunging onto all fours, catching up to their genius brother in no time at all. "Where are you going?! How do you know it's Leo?!"

"Twin Telepathy!" was all that Donnie said. Raph groaned, and Mikey hummed in interest, keeping hold of Raph's back spikes.

It didn't take long for Donnie to come to a sudden halt, holding a fist up to alert his brothers to stay down and silent. Once they had done so, the trio was suddenly met with the sound of animal-like groaning. That, mixed with deep, pained breathing, was enough to send chills down the trio's spines. With the signal to do so, Raph inched closer to Donnie, looking around for the source of the sounds. Seconds later, loud laughter and sharp whistling forced the trio to hide in the shadows, watching as two men with flashlights walked into the scene.

"Oh, trust me mate, this one's an absolute _beauty!_ He'll most certainly be worth a few big bucks!" one of the men laughed, shining his flashlight into the center of the intersection of tunnels. To his brothers' horror, smack-dab in the middle of the intersection, was Leo, held down by a rope trap.__

_ _"Whoa! Look at the size of him! And those markings!" the second man gasped. "This is a whopping good one!"_ _

_ _"Hehe, what say you? Think he'd look good stuffed and mounted?" the first man asked._ _

_ _Which is what sent Donatello flying over the edge. It took not even twelve seconds for Donnie to send both men flying into the dark and soulless depths of the sewers, screeching and hissing as he made sure to give the men a reason to not come back. After doing so, Donnie turned to Leo, freeing the Slider from the trap._ _

_ _"Are you okay?" the question was near silent, just loud enough to be heard by Leo. A gentle nod led Donnie to smile for the second time that night, helping Leo to stand. Of course, having been trapped under heavy weights, and forced to swallow sewer gunk against his will, Leo stumbled the entire way home._ _

_ _"Is he gonna be okay?" Mikey asked quietly._ _

_ _"In my care, and with our love?" Donnie chuckled, "That is a strong yes."_ _


	36. I Can't Let You (*)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Something happens.
> 
> Something bad.
> 
> Something that breaks two brothers' hearts.
> 
> And something that makes them wish they'd both gone mad.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ooh, a beginning of poetry? Spoopy.

"Leo, tell me you're joking… tell me that this is some sick prank."

"I… it's not…"

A brief silence was taken before Leo yelped as he was dragged farther into Donnie's lab. A harsh grip was released and passed on as a violent toss, forcing Leo to scramble for a middle ground. Thankfully, a desk was in close range, and Leo took hold of the desk like it was a buoyant lifesaver. "Don, please! I swear that I can… can…"

This pause was needed, Leo could tell. He could see the pain and terror in his twin's eyes as tears fell onto the floor like raindrops. A loud sob was held back as Donnie sank to the floor, refusing to believe what his Ritorutsuinburazā had just told him. This was never supposed to happen! Not like this! Leo was supposed to be the way he was for years to come! Sure, he could be a pain in the ass, and yes, he could occasionally be the reason for a failed mission or two, but that didn't matter, solely because of one fact.

Leo had still been _pure.___

_ _And now that purity had been taken away from him._ _

_ _When those words had escaped Leo's mouth, the words that stated that the blue clad turtle had, indeed, traveled out of the lair. The words that stated that Leo had indeed walked home with a handsome Yokai around his age. And the words that Leo had- without any sort of consideration about the consequences of his actions -followed the handsome Yokai inside of his house. By his own words, Leo admitted to allowing the Yokai to slam his door shut, Leo admitted to allowing the Yokai to initiate intimate physical contact, Leo admitted to going along with the act._ _

_ _And Leo admitted to spending an entire night in that Yokai's bed._ _

_ _"Donnie-"_ _

_ _"How could you…?" Donnie whispered, snout curling as he continued to hold back his sobbing. "How could you be so careless?"_ _

_ _Leo visibly cringed, not knowing how else to react. Before Leo could try to even think about a response however, Donnie's wall broke down._ _

_ _"How could you have been so careless?! You're his older brother! You should have known! You should have been with him!" Donnie cried, pulling his mask down and sobbing even more. It didn't take long for Leo to run up to his twin, drawing the Softshell into a comforting hug. "I'm so sorry! I should have been there to protect you!"_ _

_ _"What? Don, this wasn't- you didn't- none of this is your fault!" Leo exclaimed, beginning to tear up as well. "It was _my_ decision! I _knew_ what I was doing!"_ _

_ _"But I should have been there either way!" Donnie sobbed, squeezing his twin brother closer. "You're my Ritorutsuinburazā, and I should have taken my role as your Purotekutā seriously!"_ _

_ _"Don, don't beat yourself up over this… please." Leo whimpered, "it's my fault…"_ _

_ _"I just can't…" Donnie squeaked, refusing to let Leo go, "I can't let you take the blame for this…"_ _

_ _"Well," Leo huffed sadly, "I refuse to let you take the blame nonetheless."_ _

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Translations:
> 
> Purotekutā: Protector
> 
> Ritorutsuinburazā: Little Twin Brother


	37. Bad Hair Day (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A little incident at home just barely keeps Leo from going to school.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> More Human Au! Yeah!

"You are _not_ going to school like that."__

_ _"What? Why not? I look fine."_ _

_ _Mikey smirked, hiding the look behind his bowl of milk he was finishing. Raph joined in on the humor with a smirk of his own, not even choosing to hide it one bit. Meanwhile, Donnie had his arms crossed, glaring at his twin brother, who responded with a lopsided, tired looking smile. Such a display made Donnie calm down only slightly, and he sighed heavily._ _

_ _"Just… go fix your hair." Donnie instructed._ _

_ _"Hmm…" Leo groaned, his smile slowly disappearing. "Don't feel like it."_ _

_ _"I don't care." Donnie huffed, forcing Leo to stand up. "Fix your hair."_ _

_ _"Mmm… fine." Leo muttered._ _

_ _And with one step, he passed out._ _

_ _"OMIGOSH! LEO!" Mikey screamed, throwing his bowl to the side and leaping down from his seat at the table to help his immediate older brother in any way possible. Raph followed Mikey's lead, while Donnie was already halfway through the procedure of checking Leo's vitals. "How is he???"_ _

_ _"He's got a pulse, but it's somewhat irregular." Donnie started, "He feels warmer than normal, and now that I've got a closer look, he looks more flushed than normal."_ _

_ _"Do you have any idea why this happened?" Raph asked, keeping a steady composure, despite his fear._ _

_ _"None whatsoever." Donnie sighed. "We'll just have to wait until Leo wakes up."_ _

_ _So they did. It took up nearly half of Donnie's school time, as he had stayed behind to make sure Leo was stable. At the moment, however, Donnie cared less about school, as he was the smartest student in his grade, and had grades that weren't going down any time soon._ _

_ _"Come on brother… wake up." Donnie whispered, wiping a bit of Leo's dyed hair to the side._ _

_ _The hair that was drenched in sweat._ _

_ _"Nngh… Cantaloupe… stop touchin' me… you're bein'… actin' weird…" Leo whined, grunting as he was suddenly being tended to. "Don! Stop! I'm not- I don't want covers!"_ _

_ _"Right, sorry." Donnie muttered, leaving briefly before returning with an ice pack. A curt warning was given before Donnie placed the ice pack on Leo's forehead, sighing in relief as Leo hummed happily. "Feel good?"_ _

_ _"Mmhm…" Leo replied, placing the backs of his hands on the cool area. "Kinda like touchin' snow in summer…"_ _

_ _"Okay." Donnie chuckled, removing one of the heavy blankets that surrounded Leo. "Want some more packs for your belly?"_ _

_ _"Mm-mm." Leo responded, his face making a noticeable shift from deep red to its normally light brown hue. "This is… it's 'nuff…"_ _

_ _"M'kay." Donnie sighed, placing a hand on Leo's neck to check for warmth. It was still there, but gradually going down. "I'll go call Raph."_ _

_ _"Tell 'im I want… fifty soups!" Leo chimed, raising his hand in the air. Donnie grasped his twin's hand with a smile._ _

_ _"I'll tell him to get some Tomato Basil, yeah?"_ _

_ _"Ugh… fine…" Leo muttered. "You're mean, Tooth Fairy."_ _

_ _Dear Jeebus, Leo is so adorable when he's out of it._ _

_ _"Sorry bud, but the Tooth Fairy is only nice to kids who still have baby teeth." Donnie hummed, squeezing Leo's hand. Leo squeezed back in response, giving a short whimper._ _

_ _There was no way that Donnie was going to let his twin live this down._ _

_ _"Could you at least tell Santa I love him?" Leo requested. "And the Easter Bunny, tell him I'm sorry for eating his jellybeans."_ _

_ _"Okay. I'll do that." Donnie replied, grateful that Leo was too out of it to see his brother's goofy smile._ _

_ _"And I love you too Cantaloupe." Leo said, beginning to cry._ _

_ _"What's wrong?" Donnie asked worriedly._ _

_ _"It's just… I love you __so much!__ I don't want you to leave me for the Easter Bunny!" Leo sobbed, continuing to do so, even after he earned a laugh and a reassuring peck, with which he paid no attention to._____ _

_ _ _ _ _ _"Trust me, big twin Cantaloupe isn't trading anyone for anyone." Donnie promised._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _"I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!" Leo wailed._ _ _ _ _ _

_ _ _ _ _ _Oh yeah, Leo is never going to hear the end of this._ _ _ _ _ _


	38. Temporary Silence (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Sometimes silence has its downfalls.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from Sydney:
> 
> Shifting the light to donnie,he loses his voice and Leo's the only one who can interpret.

Why did he think this was a good idea?

"Don, trust me, I will be perfectly honest with all of your verbal needs!"

Heh, Donnie highly doubted that.

"Yeah, I get that you doubt it. And I understand why. But could at least pretend to be amused?"

Donnie huffed, the action causing his throat to burn. This wasn't the first time that Donatello had lost his voice due to a nasty cold, and he desperately hoped this would be the last.

Especially considering how he was always forced to speak through Leo, who was the only one able to interpret his silent requests and statements. Hand movements helped to accentuate Donnie's words, yet whatever he intended to say was always translated into something sounding much less urgent.

"Look, I promise that I won't make this cold a living Hell." Leo chimed, wrapping an arm around his twin's shoulders.

'Really?' Donnie asked silently, quirking a brow with a half-hearted frown.

"Yes." Leo replied. "Really."

'Cross your heart and hope to die?'

"Stick a needle in my eye!" Leo stated, squeezing Donnie closer. Donnie smiled despite himself, watching with mirth as Leo cleared his throat. A hand was raised and Leo spoke once more, "Twinkle Twinkle Little Star, How I wonder, What You Are."

'The Slider uses too many a pause, methinks.'

Leo rolled his eyes playfully, wiggling his backside sharply.

'What are you doing?'

"The dance of my people!" Leo continued to wiggle his hips, dancing around before pausing upon hearing a sharp snicker. A quick turn was followed by Leo blushing heavily at the sight of his brothers recording him with wide smiles.

"Keep dancing!" Mikey encouraged, "You're doing great!"

'Yes, keep dancing, Leon.'

"Cállate." Leo growled quietly. Upon the sight, Raph chuckled.

"Donnie lose his voice again?"

"Yep."

"You gonna translate?"

"Yep."

"This won't end well."

"You doubt my abilities to keep a promise." Leo sauntered up to Donnie, throwing an arm over the Softshell's shoulders. "Isn't that right?"

'You are an untrustworthy bastard child.'

"He says he agrees." Leo chirped, hugging Donnie close. "He also says he loves me, and that I'm the best brother. His most favorite!"

'Lies!'

"Even I can understand Donnie's response." Raph hummed, crossing his arms and watching Leo repeatedly poke Donnie's snout.

'Continue this action, and you will feel pain.'

"I will not."

'You know this how?'

"Because you would have stopped me by now."

Donnie smirked, pushing Leo onto the floor before strolling away.

'I expect no more than ill-tempered translations from now on!'

Leo gasped, scrambling onto his feet and racing to catch up to Donnie. In a rush, Raph caught the Slider near immediately, keeping a tight grip. All the while, Leo was shouting excited statements as he pointed at his twin.

"I knew it! I knew you loved the translations!"

'That can be neither confirmed nor denied.'

"LIES!" Leo screamed, reluctantly relaxing in Raph's hold. "Someday I shall prove your weakness to my mischief… someday."

'I highly doubt that. Have fun trying though!'

No more was said as Donnie disappeared into his lab.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was short. Kinda because I've been busy and lost inspiration halfway through. It came back though, so here's the final product!
> 
> Hope you like it! :D


	39. Blue Monster (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> He didn't remember who he was, but his brother refused to let things stay that way forever.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from Khlove:
> 
> Maybe a story of leo being controlled.

"It's okay Leo… I promise that it's okay… I'm not here to hurt you…"

A low growl, followed by heavy, almost bone breaking steps led Donnie to slowly walk backwards. Every few seconds, Donnie reached his hand backwards in order to make sure he wasn't leading himself against a wall. On any normal day, Donnie would willingly turn to see his surroundings.

Today, however, Donnie didn't have a choice. 

One wrong step, one sideways glance, one threatening movement, and Donatello's throat would be ripped out.

"Listen to me, I don't want to hurt you. You're my twin brother, and I can't bring myself to treat you like a villain."

"Something he may as well be now…"

Donnie hissed, throwing all common sense out the window as he swiftly craned his neck to look up at Hypno. Evil laughter filled the silence of the unused dock, sending chills down Donnie's spine, and he shifted between watching his brother closely, and glaring at Hypno angrily.

"You have no idea what you're doing… have you not yet learned that your slaves can turn on you just as quickly as they are forced into your rule?!"

"Such is the statement of a coward! You can't even take one look at your twin brother without feeling pity and fear!"

A flinch, followed by a sharp whine was all it took to make Leo race forwards, teeth bared, and claws aching to be drenched in blood. With tears, Donnie retrieved his tranquilizer gun, aiming towards Leo and taking a trusting shot. The dart hit Leo in the neck, but did nothing to falter him.

Another shot. One in which hit Leo in the arm.

Still, nothing happened.

Another shot.

And another.

And another.

All-in-all, fifteen darts had been rapidly fired into Leo's body before the Slider fell, just barely reaching his twin. In frustration, Hypno bellowed, turning and racing away with not a word. Once the mutant hippo was deemed gone, Donnie crouched down, petting Leo's head.

"Fear not, little brother," Donnie whispered, "I'll help you remember who you are."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized soon after creating this that I could make a full blown story branched from the chapter itself.
> 
> But I won't.
> 
> Tee-hee! Hope you liked it!


	40. To Carry It With Them (⚠️)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Revenge is sweet, in his eyes.
> 
> Especially if it meant he would see his loved one again.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A sequel/conclusion to "Leonardo and the Three Dragons"
> 
> Disclaimer: This chapter, or any chapter, is not meant to romanticize or encourage suicide. Please be safe and read with caution.

"Oh, young Jason… you seem so scared of me! Why, I wonder why that is."

Loud grunting and thrashing was what Donatello earned as a response, and he sneered at the movements. To think that a human- a creature so erotic and insane, one that could kill hundreds upon millions of species off in the span of one year -could be as scared as this teen was now… it was a sight that Donnie relished. The pain caused by marks branded onto Jace's body, the cuts tracing his stomach, the raw nature of his wrists due to his struggling against his binds.

"You're a monster!" Jeremy shouted, looking to Donnie with fury. The Softshell said nothing, he simply looked at Jeremy with a cold, apathetic gaze.

"I am no monster; as I am no human." Donnie hissed. "I am not the one driven by the urge to kill anything that can be bent to my will. I am not the one who wishes to control everything because I can. And I am most certainly not the one who TORTURES INNOCENT SOULS WITHOUT CAUSE!"

"HYPOCRISY!" Kendra screamed, struggling against her own binds. "You are doing so now!"

"I, Madame, am avenging my brother!" Donnie spat, baring his teeth. "You brought nothing but heartache and terror upon his leaving of this earth, and I'll be damned if I allow you to believe one second longer that you've gotten away with his murder!"

"Wait… he died?" Jace asked in shock, screaming as his hand was impaled.

"SHUT YOUR MOUTH! YOU SPEAK ONLY WHEN SPOKEN TO FROM NOW ON!"

"You've gone mad with revenge." Kendra chuckled, holding back a scream as a blow was landed to her already injured stomach. "A very human thing indeed."

"No matter what you believe, your words mean nothing to me." Donnie shot a menacing smirk Kendra's way, sending chills down her spine.

"What do you plan on doing when people start looking for us? Once you're found out, you and your brothers will be done for!" Jeremy scoffed, struggling to get as comfortable as his position would allow.

"Oh, please. Who would believe you?" Donnie responded dismissively. "After your first sentence, having stated that you were kidnapped and tortured by a giant, purple banded turtle, you'll be put in a mental institution for sure."

"What if we gain proof?" Kendra huffed.

"If you mean the cameras, I disabled those hours ago." Donnie chuckled, crouching down to be eye level with Kendra. "And I did the same to every bit of tech you three had on you."

"Every bit?" Jace asked fearfully.

"Every. Bit." Donnie confirmed, standing straight once more. "Go on, call for them."

Kendra wasted no time in doing so. "BOMBS! DEFENSE! DRONES! ACTIVATE!"

Nothing happened.

Absolutely nothing.

"No… IMPOSSIBLE! How could you have-"

"Trust me, it hurt even my skillfully trained eye to have to search every inch of your bodies to find that tech." Donnie shuddered, trying to repress the memory of his actions.

"You're disgusting." Kendra muttered.

"Not disgusting," Donnie corrected, "thorough."

"A monster." Jace whispered.

"Is that all you know how to say?" Donnie asked. Jace sneered. "Hmm. It seems so. Nonetheless, I have places to be. The police should be searching the area soon, so try not to waste your breath screaming until you see red and blue or hear sirens, m'kay?"

"What?! You can't just leave us here!" Kendra shouted, struggling even more than before.

"I can, and I am." Donnie chuckled, beginning to leave. "Consider this payback rightfully earned."

"NO! YOU CAN'T LEAVE US HERE! YOU DISGUSTING FREAK OF NATURE! GET BACK HERE! WHEN I GET MY HANDS ON YOU, YOU'RE GOING TO WISH YOU WERE NEVER-"

Donatello slammed the door of the vacant building shut, taking a deep breath as he looked to the sky. "You are avenged, brother. And now, I shall join you."

His life was ended that day. By his own accord.

As he had held a gun to his head in hopes of seeing his twin once more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Tell me you didn't expect this to end well...


	41. IMPORTANT UPDATE

Since I've noticed an increase in angst/death in this drabble fic, I have decided that from now on, each chapter will have a symbol to mark its safety for work.

If a chapter has a + symbol, it is SFW. There is no death/angst, only fluff.

If a chapter has a *, it is slightly NSFW. There Will be light angst.

If a chapter has **, it has a possibility of containing content that may upset readers more than usual.

If a chapter has ***, it is complete angst or hurt/no comfort.

A chapter with a ⚠ is completely meant for mature audiences who can handle things beyond angst.

There will be _very few_ ⚠ chapters, but I just wanted you to know what it means. I will go back and rate each chapter accordingly, so you can get used to their meanings.__

_ _Thank you for your time,_ _

_ _Iamacarrot._ _


	42. Stars (+)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> It isn't enough to have beaten his brother in a way unexpected. There's still something missing; two things, actually, and Leo knows exactly how to fix both.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A request from sydney:
> 
> Can we get muff-links part two? or leo wants to put up lights in his (new) room.

Blue, or white bulbs? Purple accents, or an indigo moon? A swirly wormhole, or a dramatic supernova?

"It is but the constant struggle of an artist."

A quick scoff drew Leo out of his thoughts, and he turned to send a genuine smile to his genius twin. In response, Donnie sneered, eyes narrowing and accenting the bags that formed. This didn't throw off Leo's mood, though; if anything, the look drove Leo to work harder, walking up to Donnie and holding up two strands of lights. A happy, almost childish look was on Leo's face, and Donnie rose a brow despite his previous anger.

"Blue, or white?" Leo asked, holding the lights up respectively. "I want to hang up lights in the room."

"Leo, it's _your room_ now. Why are you asking for _my opinion?"_ Donnie retorted, rolling his eyes as the question was completely ignored.

"I just thought you'd like to help decorate the room." Leo hummed, moving to pick up a picture of a supernova. "What about this? Cool colored wormhole, or warm colored supernova?"

"Uh, neither. If anything, I'm more of a wintery planet sort of turtle. Studies show that many people find it easier to sleep in cold, snow colored environments. It causes the body to naturally search for heat, and when the heat is found, the body is more likely to be comfier than if it were in a hot environment."

"Okay."

Donnie paused mid-speech, watching his twin look through his phone casually. A minute or so passed before Leo shoved his phone into Donnie's face. "So, colors like this?"

"Uh... yes...?" This was weird. Why was Leo acting so... _not Leo-ish?_ It was a question that plagued Donnie's mind, but he was quickly cut off before he could ask. Quick paced whistling filled the silence, and Donnie watched as his odd twin took hold of a few dark blue bulbs, holding them up in the air while squinting his eyes.

"Is this a good blue?" Leo asked, continuing to hold the bulbs up. "Or should we go with indigo?"

"Are... are you okay?" Donnie chose to voice his concerns instead of answering, placing a hand on the back of Leo's neck. The Slider snickered at the touch, dropping the lights and turning to kitten-slap Donnie's hand away.

"I'm fine. I just want to know how you want the room to look."

"Will you stop saying that?! This isn't _my room_ anymore! It's _yours!_ You were the one who hustled this room out of my hands!" Donnie shouted, his body stiffening as he curled his beak into a snarl. Leo smiled in response, shrugging and returning to the decorations.

"What do you think about having little star stickers on the wall?"

"That sounds like a great id- Hold on! NO! I don't care about _anything_ you do to this room! _You_ hustled it, so _you_ can deal with what I had to deal with! And lemme tell ya, there are _plenty of things_ wrong with this room! It's cramped, there's barely enough room to put your _massive mountain of junk_, and you can bet that it'll be _ten times worse_ to crawl out of _that_ poor excuse of a bed! You'd have been better off committing a crime and being sent to jail!"

"Then... why are you so upset?" Leo's question surprised Donnie, leaving the Softshell to do nothing more than attempt to answer. "Uh-huh, right. So, until you calm down, I'm just going to make the big decisions, and what you see is what you get."

Donnie sputtered, unable to formulate full sentences, especially as he was pushed out of his previous room. A quick yet gentle shove was all it took to get Donnie to leave, and Leo waved his brother off, turning around to continue his previous work.

__________

It was around 9:00 p.m. when the boys arrived from Run-of-the-Mill, each of them finishing up cheery stories before they all split up to do their own things. Raph went to lift weights, Mikey went to work a new project, Donnie retreated to his lab, and Leo... went back to decorating the room. A frustrated groan was let out, and Donnie was torn between staying in his lab and ignoring his petty feelings, or trying once again to confront Leo about the strange behaviour.

Then again, this would just show off that Leo was somehow managing to get underneath Donnie's battle shell. Something he was probably already doing to begin with. Happy whistling came from Donnie - _Leo's_ room, effectively driving the Softshell crazy. A low growl came from Donnie's throat before he stood up suddenly, ignoring his body's reaction to the movement as he stormed into his - _Leo's_ room.

"Alright, what gives?! Why are you spending so much time decorating this room?!" Donnie asked angrily, searching Leo's face for any sort of explanation. Leo simply smiled in response; a genuine look that served to drive away any of Donnie's previous negative emotions.

_How did he manage to do that???_

"Well, I noticed how you've been way more sleep deprived than usual, which is my fault entirely. So, I've decided that I'll let you come in here and sleep whenever you really feel yourself losing all sanity because of dad's snoring." Leo explained, briefly turning his back to Donnie so that he could retrieve a nearby screw. "I've been working on this for weeks, and I keep asking for your opinion because I want you to be able to be as comfortable as possible when you need somewhere to rest and relax."

"Wait, but where would that put you?"

"I'll just sleep in my old room whenever need be." Leo chimed, shrugging as he moved to pick up a picture of the family. "I've gotten used to dad's snoring, so it won't bother me as much."

"So... you're willing to give up your own comfort, just so I can get a good night's rest?"

"Yup! It's what twins are for, after all!" Leo's comment was met with silence, but he said nothing on it, taking this time to begin hammering a nail into the wall. Once the nail was deemed planted enough, Leo hung the picture up, humming happily, and stepping back. "And viola! Your new- _OW!"_

Donnie was snapped out of his confused haze by Leo's yelp of pain, searching everywhere possible for any type of source. After a minute or so, Donnie noticed that Leo was favoring one foot more than the other, and he instructed the blue clad Slider to sit down on the... nest? Yep. It was a nest.

"Hey, I'm fine Donnie, I swear. It's just a little nick." Leo assured, standing up and immediately sitting back down. With an unimpressed scoff, Donnie grabbed Leo's foot, gasping at the sight of the large nail that had lodged itself into the skin. "See? It's nothing!"

"Nardo, there is an _entire nail_ lodged in your foot. That is _not. Nothing!"_ Donnie exclaimed, lying Leo back so that they were both in a comfortable position. "Now, I'm gonna have to pull it out- BUT IT WON'T HURT! I'll do it on three so you know when to expect it. One... two... WHAT'S THAT?!"

"What?! _OW!"_ Leo pulled his foot back, cradling it lightly and blowing on it rapidly. Donnie, in the meantime, was studying the nail for any signs of rust. None were found, but the Softshell decided that he would give Leo a Tetanus shot anyways, just to be on the safe side. "Hey, hey, I ain't gettin' no shot! That is _not_ happening!"

"You "ain't getting no" shot, huh?" Donnie snickered, patting Leo's head. "Do you remember nothing about the double negative rule?"

"Screw that rule." Leo spat, grumbling as he received another head pat.

"Heheh..." Donnie paused his ministrations, thinking over what to say next. "Thank you, Leo."

"For?"

"This. The room. The decoration. Everything." Donnie clarified, leaning down and bumping foreheads with his twin brother. "You didn't have to do this."

"No, but I wanted to." Leo hummed, purring at the affectionate nuzzling his words earned him. "D'aw! You're making me blush!"

"Perfect, that means less blood to deal with when I give you the shot."

"Wait, _what?"_

"Oh please! Just because you did something nice doesn't mean I have to neglect your health. Now come on, I don't want to carry you all the way to the lab."

"Are you calling me fat?"

"You? Fat? Why, that's like calling a marshmallow spicy!"

"Okay, I get it... I love you man."

"I love you too, brother."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I hope you don't mind that I put in a few extra things with the request. It was just something I couldn't resist.


	43. You're An Idiot (*)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leo is absolutely stupid. There's nothing else Donnie can say. It's the truth, and no one can convince him otherwise.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hey! Guess who's back! Usagi, that's who!
> 
> *Note: This chapter is in no way, shape, or form related to the other consecutive chapters involving Usagi.  
*Note #2: Yes, I am still working on requests, but this idea has been in my head for a while, so I gotta write this now.  
*Note #3: This is in Leo's POV.

Ever since I started dating Usagi, it seems as if Donnie's started to get a lot more annoying. Every time I go to talk about Usagi, Donnie will do anything he can to divert the subject over to something else. Like, this one time when I was talking about a cool trick Usagi showed me, Donnie interrupted me and started asking Raph about our plans to try and find out how we were going to deal with the recent increase in crime. Then again, I guess I understand that; protecting the city_ is_ more important than a neat trick. Another time was when I started telling Mikey about how soft Usagi's fur was. I noticed that Mikey seemed a bit disinterested in the topic, but I didn't really care. I kept talking, and after a few minutes I noticed that a small friend of mine decided to make himself known. Unfortunately, Donnie had just so happened to be walking by us at the time, and he started shouting at me for getting so worked up. I argued back, saying that I couldn't control my hormones, and I remember very vaguely that I had threated to drop down then and there and jack off right in front of them.

I got grounded for the next week.

Two days into that week I met up with Usagi at Run-of-the-Mill; no one knew, and no one found out. I kept sneaking out for the next three days, but stopped after the third day. The reason for this being the fact that I had made the best worst decision of my life.

When I arrived at Run-of-the-Mill, I waited for Usagi to show up, unable to keep myself from fidgeting nervously for some stupid reason. Usagi arrived a few minutes later, and we were sat down at a two person table. We talked for a while, ordered a pasta salad and triple cheese pizza, and couldn't help but stay for a little while longer. Thankfully it wasn't very busy that day, and Hueso was feeling pretty tolerant, so we stayed for a good thirty minutes before leaving.

That's when things got weird.

After we left Run-of-the-Mill, it seemed as if we couldn't keep our hands off each other, but we kept our urges at bay for a decent amount of time. All of that self control left immediately when we reached the lair, looking around for any signs of life, and snickering when we came to the "realization" that we were alone. Without skipping a beat, Usagi and I raced into my room, and I swear that I have _never_ removed my gear as quickly as I did that day. To cut a long story short, I spent the next hour and a half experiencing the best bliss that I have ever been introduced to in my life. Or, in simple terms:

We made love.

In the afterglow of the situation, neither of us thought about the fact that getting caught would be the worst thing in the world, so we ended up falling asleep next to each other that night. I have no idea how long we had been sleeping, but what I do know is that when I woke up, I was met with the most horrified/pissed off looks I had ever seen on my family's faces. I noticed that Usagi had still been asleep, and I shook him aggressively to wake him up, not needing to say anything to let him know that our butts were about to be beaten. We were ordered to get dressed, and did so awkwardly, slowly walking down into the living room and waiting to get lectured. Much to our surprise, we were informed that we were going to be lectured separately. Usagi was to be lecture by Raph, Draxum, and dad.

I was to be lectured by Donnie.

Of course, I complained about it and tried to convince dad to swap roles, but then stopped talking when Donnie reminded me of what he was absolutely capable of. So then I was sitting in Donnie's lab, leaning against the wall and barely paying attention to what my twin brother was yelling about. Unsurprisingly he noticed this after around ten minutes, groaning and storming close to me with a look of absolute fury. I didn't react, completely used to Donnie's death glares. We stood and stared at each other for what seemed like hours, but was most likely a few seconds. Nothing happened in that time, so I went to move with a scoff.

And then he slapped me.

I scrambled back against the wall in shock, holding my right cheek and looking at Donnie with wide eyes. Nothing was said between us, and we stared at each other before Donnie pointed to the lab door. He told me to get out of the lab, wash my sheets, and then meet him in his room. I didn't really want to deal with a pissed off twin brother, so I did as told, running out of the lab, into my room, and to the washroom, saying goodbye to Usagi as he left before putting my sheets into the washing machine. I let a minute or so pass before I made my way into Donnie's room.

Let it be known that I was absolutely terrified during the entire ordeal.

I cleared my throat to gain Donnie's attention, who was sitting on his bed and staring at his wall with a blank look on his face. He hummed, and I took that as an invitation to enter the room. With a nervous whimper, I sat down next to Donnie and opened my mouth to say something.

"Do you really love him?" my brother asked, catching me off guard. He looked at me with the most serious look on his face. I nodded, closing my mouth and preparing for a long winded complaint. "Hmm."

He didn't say anything else after that.

"Uh, "hmm"? What do you mean "hmm"?" I asked, wondering what kind of trick was being pulled. Donnie shrugged, saying that he meant what he said. I, not knowing what that meant, scoffed. "What, are you too righteous to talk to me now? Am I too dirty to talk to you? Are you going to ignore me for the rest of my life because I-"

"I'M DOING THIS BECAUSE I LOVE YOU!" Donnie had screamed, standing up and glaring at me with tears in his eyes. "You're my only twin brother, and I can't lose you to some... some... some _random guy_ that you haven't even known long enough to actually express yourself so intimately!"

"Donnie-"

"No! Let me finish!" Donnie took a deep breath, wiping his eyes and shuddering before continuing. "I don't... you're not... you're not ready, Leo... you didn't... weren't supposed to have this happen so early!"

I didn't know what to say, so I looked at the ground in shame.

"You're just a little boy... you don't need this..." Donnie whimpered, and my head shot up. Now _that_ was something I hadn't expected. Did Donnie _really_ see me that way? Did my emotionless, science-driven, sometimes apathetic brother just refer to me as a _young child?_ Since when was _that_ a thing? "You can't grow up! Not yet! My family is all that I have, and I know that I don't say it enough, and that I don't show it enough, but I can't even _think_ of not having you!"

"Okay...? I _guess_ I understand that, but... what does this have to do with Usagi?" I asked. It was then when Donnie had sat back down on the bed, falling back into the sheets and groaning. Wanting to get into a more comfortable position, I did the same, turning my head to look at Donnie. He made eye contact and I smiled, a toothy grin that broke through even _his_ hard exterior. We both laughed lightly, and I hummed, scooting closer to Donnie and sighing. "So?"

"It's honestly hard to explain." Donnie admitted, moving his arm so that it wrapped around my shoulders. "Big brother instincts, I guess."

"Hehe, you're starting to sound like Raph." I teased, briefly humming a Japanese tune as I was pulled closer to my twin. "Is that what's happening? Are you the Raph of our brotherhood?"

"If that makes you Mikey, then yes." Donnie confirmed, trilling happily as I gently headbutted him. We laid there like that for an amount of time I can't remember, and I found myself almost falling asleep. Before I could, Donnie urged me off the bed, growling in a sort of secret code of ours. "Go take a shower. You reek of gross."

I snorted loudly, standing up and leaving Donnie's room, taking my sweet time to clean myself. After my shower, I walked into my room, drying myself off and putting on my pajamas, whistling a nameless tune before noticing a small note on my bare bed. I opened it and smile at its contents.

_Dear Brother,_

_You are an absolute idiot. If I ever catch you doing something so careless and dangerous again, I will personally make sure that you die a horrible death. You have no brain cells, and this is absolute proof of it. I can't believe you actually thought that you would get away with this! Who do you think you would fool?! You're normally very good at foreplanning, but this is just sad._

_TL;DR, You have no brain cells and are an idiot for thinking you could get away with sleeping with that bastard behind our backs._

_Love, Donatello_

So, yeah. Ever since I started dating Usagi, it seems as if Donnie's started to get a lot more annoying.

And I wouldn't want him to be any other way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Do you like it?


	44. Does It Make Me...? (*)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Pain

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, this is associated with the chapter "Sick People Need Rest!", and let's say that it takes place before Donnie gets revenge on the Purple Dragons.

"Hey Leo... how are you holding up?"

"..."

"That's good. It's a nice day out today, isn't it?"

"..."

"Yeah, that's what I thought too."

A gentle breeze blew against Donnie's face, and he smiled lightly, looking out at the sunset from his place on the forest ground. Next to the Softshell solemnly stood Hamato Leonardo's tombstone, cleaned and shined delicately by the same brother who had chosen to come and sit down next to it. When he had arrived, Donatello had tears running down his cheeks, a normal sight when he chose to visit his twin. The place where he normally sat was made up into a nest, and it was filled with one of Leo's favourite teddy bears. Minutes were spent in this nest before Donnie sighed, turning towards the tombstone and holding back a sob.

"Leo? Is it... am I... does it make me a bad person if I don't miss you anymore?" The question gained no response, but Donnie didn't need any. He could already hear his brother's silly response, something along the lines of: _Wait, you don't miss moi? Why, how could you say such a dastardly_ _thing?_ and Donatello couldn't keep himself from giving a tear filled laugh. That happiness soon faded, replaced with guilty sadness once more. "I mean, you're my _twin brother_, and I love you with all of my heart, but I just can't seem to miss you like I used to."

In the distance, a bird chirped, fluttering its wings before gliding down onto Leo's tombstone. The bird whistled a catchy tune, one that Donnie knew by heart. Now, everyone that knew him was perfectly aware that Donnie was a turtle of science, and this meant that he wasn't necessarily one to believe in things such as reincarnation. But, this tune wasn't any normal one; this tune was created by the twins when they were just hatchlings. When they were scared, they would trill the tune to each other until they were calm, and they promised each other that they would always remember it. Sadly, however, they had stopped using that comforting tune when their lives became increasingly hectic, a fair reason as to why Donnie was shocked to hear the familiar tune after so long.

"Leo?" Donnie asked softly. The bird chirped happily, ruffling its feathers and hopping up and down excitedly. It wasn't a large bird, in fact, it was quite small. It had blue top feathers, and a reddish orange underbelly. When he thought about it more, Donnie realized that he was aware of what this bird was. The Eastern Bluebird, a rare, endangered species. Fitting, for someone like Leo. "Heh, figures that you'd be reincarnated as something like this little guy."

The bird whistled the Twins' Tune once more, leaning forward as if requesting some sort of physical affection. Donnie smiled lightly, petting the little bird gently. When the petting stopped, the bird drew back, tilting its head as a sign of its attention. By now, Donnie had calmed down substantially, and he sighed heavily.

"At first, I couldn't do anything without thinking about you. I couldn't bring myself to forgive myself for what happened. No matter what the others told me, I always blamed myself." Donnie paused to look at the bird, who jumped up and down once more. "I kept thinking that it should have been me, that _I_ should have been the one to take that hit. This went on for so long, and I never thought it would stop, but then... then I just stopped. I stopped crying, I stopped feeling guilty, I stopped wanting you to come back... and I stopped _caring_."

The bird whistled, ruffling its feathers once again. For whatever reason, Donnie was unable to hold back a smile at the sight, and he pet the bird once more. To think that even the smallest gesture could bring a smile to Donnie's face was even more proof that this was- at least in some way -his twin brother. No one- not even Mikey -could manage to bring a smile onto Donnie's face like Leo could. The twins were close in a way that all twins were, even when they fought, Leo could always find a way to make Donnie smile, even if it made the Slider look like a fool.

"I had missed everything about you. Your jokes, your laughter, your voice, your personality; all of it. But as time went on, it all faded away. I couldn't cry anymore, didn't even want to at one point. I couldn't bring myself to feel anything every time I looked at picture with your face. Whenever your name would come up in conversation, I would just... act like it didn't affect me..." And then the tears started to fall again. "And that's my problem! It's not that it _doesn't_ affect me, but all I'm doing is _pretending!_ I'm _pretending,_ and I don't know how much longer I can do it! All of this because _you_ didn't listen! You _never did!_ It's _your fault_ that I feel this way, and it's _your fault_ that everyone else is hurting!"

The bird did nothing. It didn't ruffle its feathers, it didn't whistle, it didn't even look Donnie in the eye. Its head was hung low, and it looked as if it were feeling just as guilty. The next minute or so was spent in silence, before the bird chittered, grumbling in its own bird language before turning and flying away, leaving Donnie to his own thoughts. A broken sigh escaped Donnie's mouth, and he gathered himself once more. By this point, Donnie didn't know how to feel. He didn't know if he should be sad, angry, relieved, or indifferent. Without warning, the same bird then chirped cheerfully, gliding down and landing on Donnie's head. The look on the bird's face said everything Donnie needed to hear.

_You're being so depressing, bro. Ya gotta stop being so down, you big dumb-dumb! Hey! See what I did there? I used your thing! Look at how great my memory is!_

Donnie gave one last giggle before the bird pecked him lightly and flew away for good, whistling their tune louder and louder as it got farther and farther away. In a final attempt of acceptance, Donnie sang along with the tune.

"When you are scared, I'll be with you, there's nothing you should fear,

The things you love, are my loves too, and always will be dear,

Even when far, and when we're close, I want you just to know,

I love you brother, you are my light, and always will be so..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Hecc.


	45. Update On Things

Hey guys, sorry for not posting in a while. My emotions and days have been all over the place lately. I just wanna let you know that I _am_ still taking requests, but I may not be able to shoot them out as often as I would like, or in the exact order. I have received some_ very good_ requests, and I promise to write all of them, but I cannot guarantee that they will be posted in the order I received them. My inspiration level varies by day, which determines whose request gets fulfilled when. I just wanted to make this known to reassure those who do not see their requests written immediately. I've been lacking lately in my production levels, and am just getting back into the writing groove, both here and on other sites. Thank you for your understanding.

-Iamacarrot :D


End file.
